The federal government has launched a brand new framework for on-line playing licenses by the parliamentary gazette.
Below this framework, new nine-year on-line playing concessions will likely be granted by the tip of the yr, every requiring a license charge of €7 million.
This charge represents a considerable enhance in comparison with the €200,000 charge launched in 2018, reflecting a 35-fold rise. Along with the upfront charge, operators may even be required to pay 3% of their annual gross gaming income (GGR) after taxes.
The Ministry of Finance justifies this charge hike on account of altering market dynamics, significantly the dominance of some main operators like SNAI, Lottomatica (buying SKS365), Flutter, and Entain.
The brand new framework goals to resolve long-standing authorized disputes over license renewals between operators and the Italian regulator, the ADM Customs and Monopolies Company.
The federal government intervened to stop ADM from terminating licenses set to run out in 2023 and 2024. Nonetheless, the net playing affiliation Logico argues that the elevated charges will stifle competitors.
Below the brand new license phrases, operators will likely be restricted to 1 web site and one app per playing product, with no affiliated pores and skin web sites allowed. Technical guidelines will embody necessities for patrons to set play limits, with warning messages despatched when limits are approached. The ADM could have authority to make use of cost blocking measures to fight unlicensed on-line playing.
