The number of domains in the Italian online betting market is set to drastically reduce following a decision made by the ADM, Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency.

Italy is about to welcome a new regulated online gambling framework with 46 different companies holding 52 licences, with some firms managing more than one brand.

Flutter Entertainment, for example, operates Sisal and Snaitech, the latter acquired earlier this year while it has held the former since 2021. It also operates the Betfair Exchange under an Italian domain.

The Italian government has no problem with these business models. What it does have a problem with are the various affiliates which have been reselling licensed betting and gaming products via ‘skin’ websites.

The ADM has now effectively banned these skin websites by limiting the number of websites in the Italian gaming space to one per licence from 13 November, the day the new market launches.

This will reduce the number of Italian online gaming websites to 52 from 407, consisting of over 350 skin sites plus the various licensed gaming firms’ own websites.

The Associazione Nazionale Esercenti Sala Giochi (ASTRO), Italy’s gaming trade association, states that 315 sites are run by Italian firms and 92 by overseas companies.

A good move for Italy’s small firms?

Italy is Europe’s fourth largest gaming market, with the country’s enthusiasm for football and its domestic league, Serie A, in particular driving engagement with the sports betting industry.

The betting sector generates around $21bn annually in gross income, with operators paying £7m per licence and contributing around €8bn through taxes and other duties.

The licensing stage alone, which ends on 12 November, has generated €365m in state revenue, exceeding the Ministry of Economy’s (MEF) target of €300m-€350m.

Italy has become a tough market for many companies, however, with some observing that it is best suited to only the biggest companies – Flutter,Entain, bet365 and Lottomatica, for example.

Marketing restrictions, such as a ban on sports sponsorships, have made it difficult for companies to promote themselves and stand out from the crowd. Speaking at the SBC Summit Lisbon, Stake’s Country Director, Fabio A. Bufalini, reflected on this.

“We are a newcomer in terms of brand,” he said. “Stake is a huge brand globally, but Italy it seems we will start from scratch, and honestly it will not be easy because there is an advertising ban, and it’s not easy for a newcomer to operate and take the right action to establish.”

The ban on skin betting could be a win for Italy market newcomers and small-to-mid-sized bookmakers. The ban may level the playing field, with companies now having to only go up against 51 competitors instead of 407.

Marketing restrictions are still tight of course – with some firms like bet365 and Betsson having found ways to get around this via deals between their media properties and football clubs – but it does at least mean that new entrants know exactly who their competitors will be i.e. other licence holders, not third-party ‘skin’ affiliate sites.

Italy joins affordability push

The shrinking of Italy’s online betting footprint is one of two major changes announced by the ADM. Bettors will be required to accept updated terms and conditions and set self-imposed limits on betting accounts from 13 November.

These limits include betting amounts and overall spending limits, setting two levels for customers to adhere to – how much they can deposit into an account and how much they can spend on each individual bet.

Operators will also be queried to display what the ADM calls a ‘banner’ where customers will be directed to complete a form including their spending and betting limits.

Customers will have six months to do so, but if they don’t they will be unable to bet with licensed Italian bookmakers, though they can request account reactivation within three years.

Affordability has become a huge talking point across various European markets in recent years. The UK saw an extensive debate around it during a two-and-a-half year review of its gambling legislation, while similar discussions have taken place in the Netherlands, Spain and other countries.

In the UK, the Gambling Commission is imposing more requirements around deposit limits from the end of this month. However, the regulator has also acknowledged that new measures introduced following the legislative review, ‘finance risk checks’, may have indirectly contributed to an increase in black market activity in the country.

Back in Italy, the changes announced today show that the government is clearly committed to close oversight of the country’s gambling market, which is both highly lucrative for those lucky enough to secure a solid foothold, but also incredibly difficult for those lacking the right budgets, branding, and market knowledge.

“The reform signals a turning point for the online gaming market, which — also in response to growing public concern — aims to raise safety standards for both operators and players,” an ADM statement summarised the newly announced measures.