Upcoming Groundbreaking Reform of Italian Gambling Sector?

This reform will grant the power to the Italian Government to set new rules for the gambling sector, confirming the licensing and authorization regime as the organizational model for gambling and establishing guiding principles and criteria for its reorganization.

The reform will prioritize implementing technical and regulatory measures to protect vulnerable players.  These measures include reducing betting limits and winnings, providing continuous training for managers and operators, strengthening self-exclusion mechanisms, and introducing minimum characteristics for gaming venues.

Furthermore, the reform will rationalize the territorial and numerical distribution of physical gambling venues and introduce remote gaming systems that cannot be altered.  This solution will ensure that players always play in a safe and controlled environment.

In addition to these measures, the reform will combat illegal gambling and criminal infiltration by increasing transparency and KYC requirements for individuals involved in the industry.  It will also ensure that municipalities have a say in the planning and authorizing gambling venues while considering the distance from sensitive places throughout the country.

Overall, the Italian gambling sector is set to undergo a significant transformation that will prioritize player safety and promote responsible gaming practices.  However, the main question is whether such changes will ever come into play.  Indeed, the Italian Government, over at least the last decade, tried in several instances to reform the gambling sector.  But the political pressure from local municipalities that did not want to waive their discretionally and of operators did not lead to any substantial change.

It is worth mentioning, though, that the level of checks on gambling operations in the Italian market is considerably higher than in other jurisdictions through systems able to monitor both online and land-based operations remotely.  However, reforming the gambling market should modernize regulations and find a better balance between players’ protection and market fostering.

About the Author:

Giulio Coraggio is the location head of the Italian Intellectual Property & Technology department and the global co-head of the IoT and Gaming and Gambling groups at the world-leading law firm DLA Piper. IoT and artificial intelligence influencer and FinTech and blockchain expert, finding solutions to what’s next for our client’s success.

SOURCE:GamingTechLaw / DLA Piper.