46 operators commit to Italy’s new online gambling regime, apply for €7m licenses
Italy’s Ministry of Economy (MEF) has secured 46 applications for new online gambling licences, each priced at €7m, as detailed by the Agency of Customs and Monopolies (ADM).
The tender committee has been reviewing the bids in recent weeks, with licences expected to be awarded in October or November 2025. The government had set a target of €350m in licensing revenue, a figure now reached with 52 concessions available.
This marks the implementation of Italy’s new gambling regime, which replaces the previous licensing model – where concessions were priced at just €200,000 – representing a 35-fold increase.
New Regime takes shape…
Under the leadership of former Director General Marcello Minenna, the ADM had presented the government its goal of reducing the number of online gambling concessions to around 40 consolidated foreign and domestic incumbents. This ambition reflects a broader strategy of market consolidation and rationalisation.
Currently, Italy’s online market includes 81 licensees, which generated €5bn in gross gambling revenue (GGR) in 2024. Of these, 54 Italian operators manage approximately 320 websites, while 27 foreign operators oversee around 100. However, the new regime bans multi-brand “skins”, requiring that each licence corresponds to a single domain. As a result, the number of active websites is expected to fall to approximately 50.
Flutter Entertainment is set to hold the most extensive portfolio among applicants, combining the domestic strength of Sisal and Snaitech with its global brands PokerStars, Betfair, and Sky Bet Italia.
The shift has drawn criticism from industry body Logico, which has accused the ADM of “engineering the market’s competition” by pricing out smaller entrants. The ADM has not denied this aim, instead defending the reforms as necessary to maintain financial stability, protect players, and align with international regulatory standards.
Mario Lollobrigida, head of ADM’s gaming division, dismissed earlier forecasts that only 30 applications would be submitted. “Given the sector’s continued growth in 2023 and 2024, and a 10 percent increase in Q1 2025, it would have been shortsighted for operators to stay out,” he said. Lollobrigida also defended the €7m fee as appropriate based on market data, adding: “If anything, we could have set it even higher.”
Applicants include major operators such as Lottomatica, Flutter, IGT, Novomatic, Eurobet, Betpoint, Netwin, NTS, Microgame, Stake, DAZN Bet, Marathonbet, E-Play24/Cirsa, Winamax, and Evoke (which operates William Hill and 888). Also applying are Betsson, bet365, Stanleybet, and MGM-owned LeoVegas.
Once the concessions are granted, operators will have six months to launch their platforms under the new framework.
In parallel, ADM recently won a protracted legal battle with smaller operators who challenged the new licence fee. Italy’s administrative courts ruled in favour of the agency, upholding the fee as a necessary measure to ensure financial integrity and the protection of player funds.
A joint report by Cgia Mestre and industry association Astro, published in September 2024, estimated that the top 30 licensees already account for 94% of market revenue. The report warned that the high cost of entry would likely lead to further consolidation as smaller firms exit the market.
Summer of Negotiations
In wider developments, the Italian government heads into a summer of critical negotiations for the gambling sector. The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and ADM have commenced talks with autonomous regions and municipal districts to finalise the reorganisation of Italy’s fragmented land-based gambling laws.
Further reforms will address the restrictions imposed by the Dignity Decree — a controversial measure introduced by the short-lived Lega–5 Star coalition in 2018, which implemented a blanket ban on gambling advertising. The current government has signalled a willingness to revisit the decree.
To that end, a committee has been established by the Meloni government to collaborate with Serie A, Italian media stakeholders, and Italy’s Olympic Committee (CONI) to develop a new code of conduct governing gambling sponsorship and advertising. The aim is to strike a balance between public health concerns, commercial freedom, and the sustainable funding of Italian sport.
https://cdcgaming.com/brief/46-operators-commit-to-italys-new-online-gambling-regime-apply-for-e7m-licenses/