Italian parliament gives controversial ‘Dignity Decree’ greenlight
Narrow parliamentary vote sees gambling ad ban become law from next year
Italy’s so-called ‘Dignity Decree’ to enforce a blanket ban on any gambling related advertising from 2019 has been narrowly approved by MPs in the Italian Parliament.
The vote took place during a special session of the Italian senate on Tuesday afternoon, with the proposal passing by 155 to 125 votes.
In an interview with Italian news outlet Agipro following the vote, Italian minister for labour and economic development Luigi Di Maio said: “We could no longer allow citizens to be encouraged to gamble, a vice that increasingly degenerates into a real disease: in Italy there are a million people at risk, including many children.”
The advertising ban has provisionally been in force since the start of July, but this latest parliamentary vote will officially see it become law.
In the run up to the parliamentary vote, the European Betting and Gaming Association (EGBA) and Italian gambling trade association LOGiCO jointly authored a letter to Italian MPs calling the advertising ban “counterproductive” and urging them to vote against adopting it.
The EGBA called on the Italian parliament and government to “debate ways and specific measures in which vulnerable people and minors can be better protected from aggressive and deceptive advertising” adding that regulation of advertising should be “based on scientific study and research.”
Scattered press reports also stated that the ban was having an inverse effect, pushing unlicensed international operators’ websites up Google search rankings at the expense of their licensed Italian counterparts.
Under the dignity decree, all advertising of gambling related services on television, radio and the internet, as well as during sporting, cultural, and entertainment events will be banned with effect from June 2019. Only advertisements concerning the Italian national lottery, which are produced by the Italian regulator, AAMS can be aired after this point.
In addition to the advertising ban, sponsorship of Serie A football teams by gambling companies will be prohibited, with all existing sponsorship deals allowed to run down without the prospect of renewal.
Several sports betting operators, including Betway, have attempted to buck the decree by inking last minute sponsorship deals with Italian football teams. The future of these deals remains uncertain following the vote.
The ban has two distinct aims, addressing the rising numbers of problem gamblers in the Italian market while also preventing unlicensed international operators from using advertising to draw Italian citizens away from licensed Italian gambling sites, thus keeping any potential revenue in Italy.