Italy’s ADM, the Agency of Customs and Monopolies, has notified licensed operators and retail merchants that it will apply new measures to control Punto Vendita Ricarica (PVR) – retail points of sale for gambling concessions. 

The government agency charged with gambling regulation and oversight stated that it wanted to apply a better monitoring of PVRs offered by Internet cafes, bars, tobacconists, newsstands and game rooms.

Italian gambling allows retail merchants to offer PVR services offering customers vouchers for gaming/betting activities provided by sponsored gambling concessions.

New rules applicable to shops selling gambling vouchers in Italy are aimed at limiting the risk of illegal offering of games through PVR services.

The ADM seeks to eliminate the illegal practice of PVRs becoming ‘betting agents’, by offering wagering services, games or the topping up of online gambling accounts at venues without a licence.

Terminating illegal practices, the agency published a circular addressed to gambling licensees, imposing stricter reporting and compliance obligations, monitoring the activities of their retail PVRs.

Moving forward, the ADM demands that all Italian operators must report all PVR merchants that they are engaged with on a monthly basis. 

Operators can no longer accept accounts opened under the name of PVR owners, merchants or employees. Each PVR account must be verifiable by national ID, to identify customers and minimise AML risks.

Technical duties will require operators to carry out individual checks on PVRs, ensuring that geo-localizing the IP addresses are tracked on the sale of vouchers

The ADM has instructed Italian operators to amend existing contracts with retail merchants to ensure that PVRs are compliant with new rules and informed of their reporting duties.

Operators that fail to adopt new PVR procedures will be fined, whilst the ADM will suspend non-compliant merchants from offering retail point services.