Italy Extends Online Gambling Licence Deadline to November

Italy’s Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM) has extended the deadline for reviewing applications for new online gambling licences to 12 November 2025, pushing the approval process nearly two months beyond the original September date.

Good To Know

• The extension allows ADM to conduct full checks on each applicant.
• Existing licensees can continue operating until March 2026.
• The new licence fee is €7 million per vertical per brand—significantly higher than the last round.

ADM, Italy’s gambling regulator, said the extension gives its staff more time to carry out thorough checks on each applicant. The process was initially set to conclude by 17 September, after which approved operators would have six months to launch.

The agency has not clarified whether the delay will affect existing licensees’ operations. Under previous guidance, current licence-holders can continue to offer gambling in Italy until March 2026, at which point only newly licensed operators will be able to operate.

ADM closed its tender for remote gambling concessions on 30 May, with 46 applications securing initial approval. Major names include:

• Betfair, Snaitech, and Sisal (all owned by Flutter Entertainment)
• 888 Italia (Evoke), Hillside (Bet365), LeoVegas, Betsson, and William Hill

To progress to the next stage, these operators must pay a €7 million licence fee per vertical per brand. This steep cost has caused pushback, as the fee in the last licensing round was just €200,000.

Stricter Rules for Italy’s Online Gambling Market

Italy’s revamped licensing framework introduces several major changes.

1. The tax rate is now set at 24.5% of GGR for online sports betting and 25.5% for online casino operators.
2. Licensees must pay an additional 3% of GGR annually.
3. Operators are required to allocate 0.2% of GGR (up to €1 million) towards responsible gambling initiatives.

Player protection requirements have also tightened. All licensees must offer customers the ability to set deposit, spend, and time limits and provide self-exclusion options directly on their platforms.

The new costs and regulations could drive consolidation in Italy, which remains Europe’s largest online gambling market. While 46 applications have been submitted this time, the 2018 licensing round drew 93 applications, of which 81 were approved.

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