Italy’s proposed overhaul of land-based gambling regulation remains unresolved with less than a month left under the government’s fiscal delegation. The current legislative authority runs until 29 August 2026, leaving a narrow window to advance rules covering betting shops, bingo halls, gaming machines, and other land-based operations.
The reform is intended to replace a fragmented system of national, regional, and municipal requirements with a more consistent framework. However, differences over venue locations, opening hours, player protection, and the powers retained by regional and local authorities have continued to slow the process.
What the Approaching Deadline Means for Italy’s Land-Based Market
The reform would determine how Italy’s land-based gambling network is structured, licensed and supervised for the next concession cycle. Without an adopted decree, operators and local authorities continue to face uncertainty over when new tenders will begin and which national standards will replace existing regional rules.
- The delegation expires on 29 August: Parliament extended the government’s fiscal reform authority from 24 to 36 months under Law No. 120 of 2025.
- Land-based rules remain unfinished: Italy has already restructured its remote gambling framework, but the separate decree for the land-based market is still pending.
- Regional agreement remains central: The government must balance national licensing rules with regional and municipal responsibilities for health and local planning.
- New concession procedures depend on the reform: Betting, bingo and gaming-machine concessions have remained under extensions while the new framework is prepared.
- Further delay would prolong regulatory uncertainty: Another extension could leave incumbent concessions and local restrictions in place while the government considers its next legislative route.
Fiscal Delegation Expires on 29 August
Italy’s Law No. 120 of 8 August 2025 extended the deadline for implementing the wider fiscal reform from 24 to 36 months. Parliamentary documentation confirms that this moved the final date to 29 August 2026.
The delegation includes Article 15 of Law No. 111 of 2023, which authorises the government to reorganise Italy’s public gambling legislation while maintaining the concession and authorisation model. The principles include player protection, prevention of criminal activity, regulatory stability and clearer rules governing the physical distribution of gambling products.
Italy previously separated its reform into remote and land-based stages. The online framework progressed first, while the land-based decree was left to a later agreement involving the state, regions and local authorities.
Earlier coverage of Italy’s planned overhaul of land-based gambling rules outlined proposals to reduce parts of the land-based network, introduce certified venues, and establish common requirements for betting shops, bingo halls, amusement-with-prizes machines, and video lottery terminals.
Regional Powers Remain a Central Issue
The relationship between national and local rules is one of the main difficulties facing the reform. Italy’s regions and municipalities currently apply different restrictions covering minimum distances from sensitive locations, permitted opening hours, and the placement of gambling premises.
An official Conferenza Unificata agreement on the earlier remote gambling decree stated that land-based rules would be contained in a subsequent legislative decree following a dedicated agreement between the state, regions, and local authorities. The regions also requested a working group to share and assess the contents of the future land-based legislation.
The document identified public health, the protection of vulnerable groups, the distribution of authorised gambling and the financial effect on regional administrations as areas requiring further consideration.
The government must therefore decide how far national standards should replace existing local restrictions. A framework that removes too much local discretion could face resistance from regions and municipalities, while leaving major differences in place would weaken the objective of establishing a consistent national market.
Land-Based Licensing and Network Decisions Remain Pending
The land-based decree is expected to provide the basis for new concession tenders covering betting, bingo, and gaming machines. Existing proposals have included a smaller number of authorised locations, fewer machines, and separate requirements for specialised and general land-based premises.
Those measures remain proposals until the government approves and enacts a final decree. Precise limits on venue numbers, machine totals, minimum distances, and closure periods should therefore not be presented as settled rules.
The reform also sits alongside wider changes to Italy’s regulatory framework, including the AGCOM consultation on responsible gambling communications. That consultation concerns how authorised operators can communicate public-interest and player-protection information while complying with Italy’s restrictions on gambling advertising.
Should the government submit a draft close to the deadline, parliamentary review provisions may affect the final timetable. Without a draft or preliminary Council of Ministers approval, however, Italy may need to extend current concessions again or pursue the land-based reorganisation through a new legislative mandate.