In a focused operation against illegal gambling, authorities in Agrigento have closed down two unlicensed betting collection centers and imposed fines totaling over €20,000 (approximately $22,796). This crackdown, announced on Friday, was executed by the Italian customs and gambling regulator (ADM) in partnership with the Guardia di Finanza (GdF).
Inspectors from ADM's Sicily 6 division in Porto Empedocle, along with provincial units of the GdF, conducted inspections at 14 betting establishments and gaming halls across multiple locations, including Agrigento, Favara, Raffadali, Palma di Montechiaro, Campobello di Licata, Ribera, and the Pelagie Islands.
During these inspections, officials discovered two sites operating without the requisite licenses. At one establishment in Porto Empedocle, law enforcement seized two computer terminals that were disconnected from the national gaming collection network and lacked necessary identification codes. This disconnection allowed the terminals to avoid the recording of stakes and plays, enabling potential evasion of the single national gaming levy (PREU) associated with recorded turnover on gaming devices.
The confiscation of these terminals has led to criminal referrals. The owner of the establishment in Porto Empedocle is currently under investigation by the public prosecutor in Agrigento on allegations of illegal betting activities.
In addition to the PREU, a new bill introduced to the Italian Senate earlier this month proposes a 2% levy on all domestic football bets. This levy aims to create a dedicated funding source for Italy's football system, and it will affect bets placed both in physical shops and online for matches sanctioned by the Italian Football Federation and its affiliated leagues, standing at 2% of the stake.
This enforcement action takes place within the context of a regulatory impasse in Italy's gambling sector. At a recent Senate hearing, EGP-FIPE, representing operators in the Italian Federation of Public Establishments within Confcommercio, reported that the legal gambling market has been hindered by ongoing extensions of national gambling concessions. They asserted that the lack of a unified national reform framework has caused stagnation in the sector, impeding effective network planning and weakening consumer protections against problem gambling.
EGP-FIPE president Emmanuele Cangianelli noted that overly strict regulations in the physical market do not reduce gambling issues but rather push them online or into illegal venues, where oversight is absent. He argued that such conditions distort legality and jeopardize the sustainability of authorized networks.
The ADM and Guardia di Finanza have reiterated that the investigation remains active, with continued efforts aimed at protecting consumers, particularly minors and vulnerable individuals, while fighting criminal elements in the gaming industry. Officials emphasized the principle of innocence for those reported until proven guilty through due legal processes.
