The repeal of Italy’s blanket ban on gambling advertising, and the design of a new framework for the funding of Italian football via betting licences, has moved to the forefront of the governance of Italian football.

The two candidates competing for the presidency of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) have been officially revealed, as Italian football continues to deal with the fallout of the Azzurri’s third consecutive failure to qualify for a FIFA 2026 World Cup.

Two Horses

The race to become FIGC President will be contested by Giovanni Malagò and Giancarlo Abete.

As it stands, Malagò, the former President of Italy’s Olympic Committee (CONI),  is considered the front runner due to his track record in modernising Italian athletics, leading to record-breaking results for Italy’s Olympic teams.

Malagò’s programme focuses on creating financial incentives to increase playing opportunities for young Italian players in Serie A. 

He has also proposed a new national infrastructure strategy which aims to accelerate the construction of modern stadiums and new training facilities.

Malagò is backed by Serie A and the Italian Players’ Association. However, challenger Giancarlo Abete, a long-standing figure in Italian football administration and media, has also entered the race with the support of Lega Nazionale Dilettanti (LND), Italy’s federation of amateur football leagues.

Abete’s platform will focus on structural reform, arguing that the federation must reduce the influence of top-flight Serie A clubs and govern Italian football for the collective benefit of all football leagues.

His proposals include a reduction in the number of professional clubs as well as the creation of a dedicated managerial structure to oversee a new “Club Italia national team programme”. 

The aim is to bring Italy back to producing top football talents that match the quality of other academies in Europe.

The victor of the two horse-race for FIGC’s presidency will be decided on 22 June, as all Calcio stakeholders vote on who takes leadership of Italy’s national game, at its most fragile point in its existence.

Both candidates support the introduction of a “right-to-bet” framework — a model first proposed by outgoing FIGC President Gabriele Gravina that would impose a fixed percentage levy on Italian gambling licences to fund football and wider sporting initiatives. 

However, the two candidates differ significantly on how the model should be implemented and how revenues should be distributed across the Italian football system.

The proposal under Malagò suggests that around 2% of football betting revenues should be allocated to the federation as a new source of funding for the sport.

“The issue of sports betting,” states Malagò’s programme, “requires a clear institutional position.” 

The document has argued that, with “football betting revenues exceeding €16bn and tax receipts reaching record levels”, it is legitimate to debate whether part of the value generated by betting on the sport should be returned to the wider football ecosystem.

Malagò’s programme has described sports betting as a “system resource” that should be protected and developed alongside audiovisual rights, anti-piracy measures, sports taxation reforms and investment incentives. 

The argument centres on the principle that if football generates substantial value for the betting industry, then part of that value should support football’s wider social and sporting functions.

Abete’s proposals go even further by openly calling for the repeal of the Dignity Decree’s ban on gambling advertising and sponsorships involving betting operators. 

His programme explicitly supports the introduction of a 2% revenue allocation model and suggests allowing targeted sponsorship agreements between betting operators and top-flight clubs.

However, Abete has stressed that any reform must maintain “transparency and legality” as guiding principles, while ensuring that sufficient resources are allocated to tackling gambling addiction and related social harms.

Clock ticking on Abodi

The ongoing negotiations over a new gambling advertising framework and the redistribution of betting revenues to Italian sports are currently being led by Sports Minister Andrea Abodi.

While no formal framework has yet been presented, discussions have since been delayed by the leadership transitions taking place across both Serie A and the FIGC during 2026.

Serie A clubs have called on the PM Meloni to directly intervene and repeal the Dignity Decree as a law that is no longer applicable for Italian football – as Italy’s top flight cites that it cannot no go a further season denying a €1bn in direct funding.

The incoming FIGC president is expected to submit proposals regarding the future funding of grassroots football and the wider professional pyramid in the near future.

Parallel discussions are also expected to take place with Serie A President Ezio Simonelli regarding investment requirements for stadium redevelopment and modern training infrastructure. CONI is expected to seek guarantees on funding allocations for broader Italian sporting initiatives.

Abodi is increasingly under pressure to deliver either a formal framework or a set of regulatory guidelines, as the Meloni Government appears determined to consolidate major gambling and sports policy reforms within Italy’s next Budget.

The expectation in Rome is that any agreed measures would be implemented rapidly ahead of Italy entering the election cycle in 2027.