Italy’s gambling market is running two rulebooks and waiting for politicians to write a third. At SBC Summit in Lisbon, industry leaders said land-based reform was unlikely before the next general election, as a Council of State ruling reshaped rules for top-up outlets. The stakes are not small: retail accounts for roughly three-quarters of a market worth more than €21 billion, according to the account of the panel published by iGaming Business.

That leaves businesses balancing court decisions, changing online rules and a retail network still operating without the promised overhaul. For esports fans who follow betting markets, the immediate story is not a verified esports-specific restriction; it is the broader uncertainty facing licensed gambling operators in Italy.

The first reference to reorganising Italy’s retail gambling network dates back to the 2016 Stability Law. Quirino Mancini, co-founder and executive committee member of IMGL, told the summit panel he could not see a government tackling the issue before the election, given gambling’s political sensitivity.

The technical division of labour is largely mapped out: central government would determine network size, density, opening hours and distances from sensitive sites, with regions and municipalities responsible for implementation. The holdup, Mancini said, is political rather than logistical. Meanwhile, retail reform has yet to begin, while a sweeping online overhaul is moving ahead, with new rules due to take effect on 13 November.

The Council of State ruling concerns PVRs, shops where players can add cash to online gaming accounts. The court upheld a €100 weekly cap on cash and non-traceable top-ups, in force since May, and confirmed that players cannot withdraw money at these outlets.

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