Deadline for Applying for Italian Licences

Under proposals within the new 'Bersani Decree' the Italian government is set to further reform the market and expand the number of sports betting licences to 7,000 new outlets, 2,100 of which will be dedicated shops. There will also be an additional 10,000 licences for horseracing outlets, 500 of which will be dedicated shops. Taxation of sports bets will also be reduced from 17% to between 2 and 8%, depending on turnover. Currently there are around 770 licensed betting shops in Italy serving a population of a similar size to the UK where there are over 8,000 betting shops. Recently the government has allowed slot machines in betting shops and has begun to reduce the rate of tax for sports bets.

The deadline for applying for a licence was the 20th October; however a number of operators refused to apply as the tender process introduces discriminatory and un-competitive measures which go against national and international legislation. Under the licence process new operators would be negatively discriminated compared to the existing ones. However some Italian MPs are arguing that the Decree has been approved without ever being discussed with the operators which are affected by it; that the Government didn't take into account the impact of these liberalisation measures on small-sized operators as well as on public finances; and that no measures have been taken in order to protect the existing operators.

Francesco Tolotti MP said: “The opening of new betting shops as introduced by the tender is not a real liberalization of the market, but is rather a limitation of the freedom to do business, as the existing companies which have contributed to the development of the sector in the past years will now be forced to close down.”

:. Back