Italian regulators crack down on illegal betting hubs in Sicily

Italy’s gambling regulator, the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), alongside the Guardia di Finanza (GdF), carried out inspections at 14 gambling venues across several locations in Sicily, including Agrigento, Favara, and the Pelagie Islands. The operation resulted in the closure of two betting shops that were operating without authorization.

At one establishment in Porto Empedocle, authorities seized computer terminals that had been disconnected from Italy’s national gambling network and lacked mandatory identification codes. This setup allowed the operator to bypass wagering recording systems and potentially avoid paying the single national gaming levy (PREU). The total fines issued exceeded €20,000.

The business owner at the Porto Empedocle site has been reported to the Agrigento prosecutor’s office on suspicion of illegal betting activity. Both the ADM and GdF have indicated that their investigations are continuing.

These enforcement actions occur against a backdrop of prolonged delays in Italy’s efforts to overhaul its land-based gambling regulations. The much-anticipated Reorganisation Decree, originally scheduled for full implementation by December 2024, has now been pushed back to August 2026 — an eight-month extension from the previous deadline. The change reportedly follows a proposal by MP Mariangela Matera of the Fratelli d’Italia party (representing Puglia) to give the Ministry of Finance extra time to update sanction frameworks and allow regional governments to align their own rules.

Separately, the Italian Senate has introduced a bill that would impose a 2 per cent levy on all bets placed on domestic football matches, both in retail outlets and online. The tax would cover games organized by the FIGC and its affiliated leagues. However, legislators stress that the levy is not intended to increase the overall tax burden on betting, but rather to channel funds directly into football development.