EGBA: Review needed on advertisement rules in Italy to combat Illegal platforms

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) recently called for a review of Italy’s total ban on advertisement for games of chance.. The move follows a new report revealing that Italian punters spend €26.38 billion annually on illegal gambling sites.

The report, published by Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, estimates that every year almost 19 billion euros are wagered on gambling sites without an Italian License. This amount represents around 75% of all bets made on the illegal gambling market in Italy.

According to the EGBA, one billion euros of gross gaming revenue is lost each year to illegal sites. This sum is equivalent to the combined regulated online gaming revenues of eight other European Union (EU) countries: Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovenia.

9,800 sites already blocked since the beginning of 2023

In order to combat these illegal sites, the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) has already taken measures to block unauthorized sites. This year alone, 9,800 sites have already been blocked, or 400 more than in 2022. This reactive approach makes it hard for the regulator to combat the problem successfully. 

Despite this, the EGBA is concerned about the number of Italian players playing on unauthorized sites, particularly those located outside the EU. As these sites do not provide the same consumer protection guarantees, or even no protection at all, players are exposed to increased risks.

EGBA calls for more awareness

Italy currently has a total ban on gaming advertising in place, which the EGBA says leads to a lack of awareness among licensed operators and may contribute to high rates of illegal gambling. The association is therefore calling on Italian authorities to do more to raise consumer awareness of these risks, which could include a review of the general ban on gaming advertising.

“The significant size of the Italian illegal online gambling market is concerning, but not surprising, given that Italy has one of the strictest regimes for advertising in Europe for its licensed gaming companies.” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of the EGBA.

“The ban on advertising for licensed gaming operators clearly favors the illegal market. Without a sufficient level of advertising, there is no way for Italians to distinguish a gambling site licensed in Italy, applying the rules of protection of the country’s consumers, of a site which is not.” said Maarten.

“It is clear that coercive measures against irregular operators are not enough. The government must revise its gaming advertising rules so that Italian citizens can be well informed about the legal offering in  the country.” he concluded.

This report comes at a time when Italy faces a crisis in the Italian Football league. Indeed, several players have been accused of violating betting rules.

This week, the Italian federal prosecutor’s office imposed a seven-month suspension on Juventus player Nicolò Fagioli due to his sports betting activities. Two other Italian national team players, Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali and Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo, are also under investigation and have been dropped from the national team.