The Italian Customs and Monopoly Agency (ADM) recently announced a list of 46 operators qualified to enter the next phase of the remote gambling license application process, marking a critical stage in the restructuring of the country's gambling regulation.
This announcement was made by the Remote Gambling Office under the General Directorate of Games at ADM, including well-known industry brands such as Admiral Sport, Betfair Italia, Greentube, LeoVegas, Snaitech, Sisal, and Stake. According to the announcement, operators not included in the list are considered automatically out and cannot participate in the upcoming new license system.
This round of selection is based on Article 6 of the new decree effective March 25, 2024, signed by Antonio Giuliani, the head of ADM's online gambling office. This new regulation aims to systematically reform the current Italian gambling laws, promoting a more transparent and competitive licensing system.
It is noteworthy that two subsidiaries of Flutter—Snaitech and Sisal—are successfully included. However, their influence in the local market has raised concerns, especially after Snaitech's recent acquisition of Playtech for 2.3 billion euros, which sparked public protests over potential cross-selling issues between Snaitech and Sisal.
Meanwhile, the Stake brand, which was banned in the UK, also successfully made it to the Italian candidate list. However, Brightstar Lottery (formerly IGT) and its partners Allwyn, Arianna 2001, and Novomatic Italia, who recently won the national lottery license, did not appear in this round's list, as they primarily focus on the lottery business, not remote gambling.
This list of 46 operators not only determines the lineup of participants in the next phase of Italy's online gambling operations but also signifies that the country's gambling industry is entering a new era of more concentrated regulation.
