Italy Plans National Land-Based Gambling Reform with Fewer Venues

Italy is preparing a nationwide overhaul of land-based gambling rules, with the government moving to replace fragmented local controls with a single regulatory framework that would apply across the entire country.

Good to Know

• A draft decree would unify land-based gambling rules across all Italian regions.
• Slot machines, VLTs, bingo halls, and betting shops would all fall under national standards.
• Outlet and machine numbers are expected to decline under the proposed framework.

A long negotiated reform of land-based gambling in Italy is nearing its next formal stage, as the government prepares to circulate a draft decree designed to standardise rules across 20 regions and more than 100 municipalities. The measure would apply nationally to all franchise operators, covering slot machines, bingo halls, and video lottery terminal systems.

According to reporting from AgiproNews, the draft text has been shaped over almost two years of discussions between the central government and regional authorities. The decree is expected to be reviewed under the fiscal delegation framework before heading to the Council of Ministers. If cleared, it would then move to the Joint State–Regions Conference and relevant parliamentary committees. No formal rollout date has yet been outlined.

Trade Offs

Talks leading up to the draft focused heavily on trade offs. Central authorities pushed for consistent national standards, while regions raised concerns around taxation levels, revenue displacement, compensation models, and the effect of tighter controls on local budgets. The compromise now under review reflects those negotiations.

The land-based reset follows a deliberate two step restructuring of the Italian gambling system. Online gambling was addressed first, with a new regime taking effect in November 2025. That phase introduced updated licensing rules, revised tax structures, and stricter compliance requirements for digital operators. With that work completed, attention has shifted fully to retail gambling.

Policy signals point toward a smaller physical gambling footprint. Early outlines suggest the number of venues allowed to host slot machines could fall by roughly 10 percent, reducing the national total to about 40,000 locations. Bars, tobacconists, and gaming halls would all be affected. Betting shops would remain capped at 10,000 nationwide, while the distinction between dedicated betting shops and betting corners inside hospitality venues would be removed.

Machine counts would also move lower. Slot machines could be reduced from around 240,000 units to roughly 200,000. VLT numbers are expected to fall by about one fifth, dropping from an estimated 55,000 devices to around 46,000.

New Agency Doing the Oversight

Oversight would tighten under a new certification framework led by Agency of Customs and Monopolies. Operators applying for licences or franchise rights would need to meet enhanced standards focused on player protection, gambling harm prevention, and controls aimed at blocking underage access.

Distance rules are also set for a national rewrite. The reform would replace regional distance laws with uniform thresholds tied to certification status. Certified venues would need to remain at least 100 metres from sensitive locations, while non certified outlets would face a 200 metre requirement. Sensitive locations would include secondary schools, hospitals, and addiction treatment centres.

Operating hours would narrow as well. Draft provisions point to mandatory daily closure periods of six and a half hours for certified venues and eight hours for non certified premises, tightening availability compared with many current regional rules.

Alongside regulatory changes, the government is preparing new concession tenders covering gaming machines, betting operations, and bingo. Those tenders are expected to be published before the end of the year and are projected to generate close to €2 billion, or about $2.3 billion, in additional tax revenue.

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