Advertisement of gambling will be banned in Italy

Ban on the advertising materials in any format in Italy

The Council of Ministers of Italy approved a new restriction for the gambling sector - a complete ban on thematic advertising on the territory of the state, which will enter into force on January 1, 2019.

In a recent open letter to the initiator of restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Mayo, Managing Director of LeoVegas Italy, Nickles Lindahl, drew the legislator's attention to the fact that the ban on gambling advertising would lead to the growth of the black gambling market. This information was refuted by the Deputy Prime Minister.

The ban will apply to all products and services related to gambling on all media platforms, including television, websites, radio. Sports clubs will also be prohibited from representing sponsors from the gambling industry. The ban does not apply to the state national lottery or its products.

Due to innovations, sports clubs, as well as gambling companies, may suffer significantly. More than half of Italy's top football teams have sponsorship agreements with representatives of the sector.

In LOGiCO, a trading body representing the interests of online operators in Italy, commented on the changes in legislation:

"LOGiCO does not believe that the ban on advertising can have a positive effect in terms of protecting the players, as well as reduce or even eliminate the risks that arise from the uncontrolled practice of the games themselves."

However, advertisers who have agreements with gambling operators are allowed to complete existing contracts after the legislative changes.