Italy extends online gambling licence approval process to November
Summary
Italy’s regulator, Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM), has extended the approval process for new online gambling licences so that full applicant checks can continue until 12 November 2025. The review had originally been due to finish by 17 September; successful applicants would then have six months to launch. ADM has not made clear whether the extension changes arrangements for existing licence-holders, who were previously told they could continue operating until March 2026 when only new licences would remain valid.
Source
Source: https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/italy-extends-online-gambling-licence-process/
Key Points
- • ADM will keep processing and checking online gambling licence applications until 12 November 2025.
- • The prior target end date was 17 September 2025; successful operators would then have six months to go live.
- • It remains unclear if the extension affects existing licence-holders previously allowed to operate until March 2026.
- • ADM initially awarded 46 applications initial approval; notable names include Betfair, Snaitech, Sisal, 888 Italia (Evoke), Bet365 (Hillside), LeoVegas, Betsson and William Hill.
- • Applicants progressing must pay a licence fee of €7 million per vertical per brand — a major increase from the €200,000 fee in the 2018 round.
- • New tax and cost rules: online sports betting taxed at 24.5% of GGR, casinos at 25.5% of GGR, plus an annual fee of 3% of GGR.
- • Operators must spend at least 0.2% of GGR on responsible gambling (capped at €1 million) and comply with stricter player-protection rules (deposit/spend/time limits and self-exclusion options).
Why should I read this?
Quick heads-up: if you’re bidding for an Italian licence, working with operators in Italy or tracking EU market shifts, this matters. ADM’s delay buys time for checks but also prolongs uncertainty around launch timings. Combine that with a huge jump in licence fees and tougher tax/player-protection rules and you’ve got a market that’s getting both pricier and stricter. Worth a skim if you need to plan entry, compliance or commercial strategy.
Author style
Punchy: this is a regulatory pause that changes timelines and piles on cost and compliance pressure. Read closely if Italy is part of your roadmap.