Key Moments:
- Legal gambling wagers in Italy reached €157.4 billion in 2024, with €21.5 billion in actual player spend
- Online gambling turnover increased 153% between 2019 and 2024, totaling €92 billion last year
- Retail sector experienced a 30% decline in machine revenue from 2019 to 2024, with nearly 10,000 job losses in five years
Changing Market Landscape
Italy’s gambling sector closed 2024 with unprecedented legal betting activity, but the market now presents a drastically altered profile compared to the pre-pandemic period. While wagers totaled €157.4 billion, the actual spend by players amounted to €21.5 billion, signaling robust activity amid ongoing market transition.
Digital Adoption Redefines Gambling
Recent findings from the CGIA di Mestre Report, unveiled in Rome in October, reveal a dramatic acceleration in online gambling. From 2019 to 2024, digital gambling advanced by 153%, reaching a turnover of €92 billion in the last year. Player winnings returned €87 billion, producing €5 billion in real expenditure, divided between taxation and operator margins. Massimiliano Pucci, President of As.Tro, described this shift as evidence of evolving consumer behavior, with many favoring remote participation. According to Pucci, this evolution calls for reforms that safeguard the regulated ecosystem and enhance industry stability.
Key Drivers of Online Growth
Three primary segments have fueled nearly all of the expansion in Italy’s online gambling space between 2019 and 2024:
- Casino games: 53% of growth
- Card games: 28% of growth
- Sports betting: 14% of growth
Following a brief deceleration in 2022, digital channels rebounded with growth rates of 13% in 2023 and 16% in 2024. Drivers of this trend have included technological advancements, improved user interfaces, and enhanced player safeguards, even as brick-and-mortar outlets resumed operations.
Legislative Revamp and Licensing Activity
The regulatory landscape underwent significant changes in 2024 through Legislative Decree No. 41/2024. The Customs and Monopolies Agency granted 52 licenses to 46 operators under new guidelines. These changes outperformed previous expectations and resulted in €364 million of revenue. The updated framework limits each operator to one domain for greater market supervision and reduced fragmentation.
By 2026, revised requirements for online top-up points will be introduced to promote stronger transparency and traceability in digital gambling interactions.
| Year | Online Turnover (€ Billion) | Retail Machine Revenue (€ Billion) | Number of Machines Lost | Employment Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | – | ~46.6 | – | – |
| 2024 | 92 | 32.6 | 16,000 | 10,000 |
Continued Decline in Land-Based Gaming
Despite a growing digital market, land-based gambling remains under pressure. Slot machines and video lottery terminals have suffered most, with revenues shrinking by 30% – a reduction of nearly €14 billion between 2019 and 2024. For 2024, machine turnover reached €32.6 billion, still not equaling pre-pandemic volumes. There are now 16,000 fewer machines and 8,400 fewer venues, disproportionately affecting smaller outlets like bars, tobacconists, and shops. Larger venues have seen a degree of consolidation, but the five-year period led to 10,000 jobs lost in the sector.
Fiscal Contributions Remain Significant
Gambling continues to play a vital role in supporting Italy’s public finances, despite contraction in the retail segment. The Single Gaming Tax generated €5.2 billion in 2024. Additional fiscal measures, including taxes and social contributions, brought the total to roughly €6 billion, maintaining its position as an essential source of funding for the state.
Balancing Innovation and Stability
The Italian gambling sector faces the challenge of creating equilibrium between a thriving online industry and shrinking physical operations. The report emphasizes the need for transparency, responsible business practices, and protective measures for both jobs and tax revenues. Massimiliano Pucci highlighted the importance of robust legal gaming to sustain employment, fiscal steadiness, and safeguard citizens, asserting, “strong legal gaming protects jobs, tax stability, and citizens.”
As the industry transitions, the pivotal issue will be constructing a balanced system that enables innovation while preserving the stability of the entire sector.
- Author
Daniel Williams
