Italy’s customs and monopolies agency (ADM) has officially activated the 52 licences that will make up the country’s new iGaming market.
ADM described the new regime as a “smooth and decisive reset” despite a delay that meant the activation was delayed from midnight until 7am on 13 November due to minor technical adjustments.
Although there are 52 licences, just 46 operators are live in the country, as some have more than one licence. Each licence cost €7m, generating €364m for the state.
At the centre of the overhaul is a ban on “skins”, which allowed multiple affiliate sites to operate under a single master licence. This meant that as the switchover took place, hundreds of gambling websites closed down.
Notable names that failed to apply for a new licence upon the announcement of the regulatory overhaul included Betway, Unibet and 1xBet, marking their exits from the country.
Just the beginning
ADM’s strategy for change focuses on stricter compliance measures, advanced technological enforcement, and stronger anti-money laundering controls, as well as tackling Italy’s significant black market presence.
Reform to the country’s market is expected to continue into 2026, with Italian lawmakers considering a change to gambling advertising laws, which are currently prohibited under the 2018 Dignity Decree.
Industry voices have argued that the total ban has curtailed legal market visibility and emboldened Italy’s black market.
Fabio A. Bufalini, Country Director of Stake Italy, previously told iGaming Expert that “it’s no coincidence that illegal gambling has grown significantly in recent years”, while the advertising ban has been in place.
“I’m convinced that if [the Dignity Decree was overturned], we as operators should be the first to protect consumers by establishing clear and reliable rules to avoid a return to the previous ban, while also ensuring that advertising is constructive,” Bufalini added.