TLDR
- Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) confirmed gambling bonuses remain legal but bonus advertising language is restricted.
- The guidance applies under the 2019 Dignity Decree, which bans most gambling promotion.
- Operators can describe bonuses factually but cannot use language meant to encourage betting.
- Italy now requires gambling companies to operate through a single master domain since November 2025.
- A full review of advertising rules is expected after Italy’s land-based gambling overhaul finishes by the end of 2026.
Italy’s gambling regulator has told licensed operators that bonuses are still allowed, but the way companies talk about them matters a lot. The Customs and Monopolies Agency, known as ADM, issued the clarification this week.
The guidance follows months of questions from operators and complaints from consumer groups. Many wanted to know exactly where the line sits between explaining an offer and promoting one.
What the New Guidance Says
ADM said a bonus itself is not against the law. The problem comes when companies describe it using language built to attract attention or excitement.
Operators can tell customers a bonus exists and explain how it works. They must use plain, factual wording only.
Any phrasing designed to spark interest, create urgency, or push someone toward betting is against the rules. ADM said this is not a new policy, just a clearer explanation of existing law.
The agency also said it cannot change or soften the rules on its own. Those decisions rest with Italy’s communications regulator, AGCOM, and the Dignity Decree passed back in 2019.
That law created one of the strictest gambling advertising bans in Europe. It blocked gambling ads across television, print, digital platforms, and sports sponsorships.
A Bigger Shift in How Italy Oversees Operators
This clarification lands during a wider regulatory change in Italy. The country has run a new online gambling licensing system since November 2025.
There are currently 52 active licenses under this system. One major change requires every operator to run its business through a single master domain.
Regulators say this makes it easier to track marketing content. It also limits the number of secondary brands operators can use to get around stricter messaging rules.
With everything funneled through one domain, authorities get a clearer view of what customers actually see. This is becoming a bigger focus as companies try to grow their customer base while staying inside tight advertising limits.
Officials have said the core message stays the same. Operators can give customers facts, conditions and details about bonuses. They cannot use language meant to convince someone to gamble.
Discussion around loosening these rules has grown in recent months. Late last year, ADM Director General Roberto Alesse said the strict ad ban may have pushed customers toward unlicensed gambling sites instead.
His argument was that limiting visibility for licensed operators gave illegal platforms an opening. AGCOM addressed similar concerns earlier this year.
In May, the regulator opened a formal review of advertising rules. It acknowledged confusion remains around what counts as informational content versus promotional messaging.
For now, no changes have been made. Operators must continue following the existing strict guidelines.
A larger review of the Dignity Decree is expected once Italy finishes restructuring its land-based gambling sector. That process is scheduled to wrap up by the end of 2026.
Government officials have said advertising rules will be part of this final phase. No formal proposal has been introduced yet.
Until then, gambling companies in Italy must carefully watch every word used to describe their bonus offers.
