Italy Revamps Online Gambling License Structure

The Italian government has unveiled a revamped structure for online gambling licenses, signaling significant changes in the industry. Under the new regulations, operators can obtain licenses valid for nine years, with each permit priced at €7 million.

This marks a substantial increase from the previous license fee of €200 thousand set in 2018, representing a 35-fold rise. In addition to the upfront fee, operators will be required to pay 3% of their annual net gambling revenue after taxes. The decision to hike fees was justified by the Italian Treasury, citing shifts in market dynamics and the dominance of a handful of major operators such as SNAI, Lottomatica, Flutter, and Entain.

The restructuring aims to address longstanding legal disputes over license renewals between operators and the Italian regulator, the Customs and Monopolies Agency ADM. Notably, the government intervened to prevent ADM from revoking licenses set to expire in 2023 and 2024. However, industry voices, including the online gambling association Logico, argue that the escalated fees could stifle competition in the market.