Italy is set to overturn its six-year ban on domestic betting sponsorship and advertising in sports, a move that will significantly enhance the revenue streams of professional football clubs in the country. Brands like India 1xbet will now theoretically be able to strike deals with Serie A, Serie B and Serie C clubs.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A have been lobbying the government hard to lift the ban, which came into force on January 1, 2019, through the Dignity Decree of 2018. At that time, more than half of Serie A’s 20 clubs had sponsorship deals with companies operating in this sector.
The Decree stipulates that any form of advertising relating to “games or bets with money winnings” is banned via “any means”, including sporting events, TV and radio broadcasts, press releases, billboards and online platforms.
A parliamentary act has called on the government to “evaluate the modification of the current ban” for sport. The Senate Culture Committee is expected to announce changes to this legislation soon. This will mean betting and gambling brands will be permitted once again to display their logos prominently on shirts and sleeves as well as pitchside advertising boards at Serie B and Serie A matches.
However, one restriction remains – such betting firms must be licensed by Italy's Customs and Monopoly Agency according to sports minister Andrea Abodi.
It is anticipated that at least one per cent of annual proceeds derived from sports games and sports betting will be placed in a special fund intended for constructing new stadiums or modernising old ones. This fund will finance projects related to Italy’s hosting duties for Uefa Euro 2032 which it shares with Turkey.
Italian football was an early adopter of virtual advertising which helped circumvent domestic betting sponsorship bans. Interregional Sports Group (ISG) has been a long-term partner in deploying virtual advertising across all Serie A matches.
Last year, ISG and Serie A signed a new five-year contract which for the first time included the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in the agreement. ISG currently sells the league’s international rights to gambling platform 1XBet, allowing revenue generation from betting despite the ban.
Several Serie A clubs have regional betting sponsorship deals unaffected by legislation but have had to be creative with domestic dealings. For instance, Fiorentina's sleeve sponsor this season is Betway Scores, while LeoVegas sponsors Atalanta.
A year ago, Italy's consumer body filed complaints regarding LeoVegas' deals with Atalanta and Inter Milan alleging indirect advertising promoting gambling against regulations.
Meanwhile, Inter is in its first season of a four-year agreement with online betting company Betsson featuring its 'sport infotainment brand' on club shirts.
Following the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020 that strained football clubs’ revenue streams significantly, Serie A representatives lobbied for the termination of the betting ban. In 2021 FIGC joined this call requesting a two-year suspension to ease financial burdens caused by the pandemic.
The lifting of this ban will undoubtedly provide much-needed financial relief for many football clubs while also paving the way for infrastructure development ahead of Uefa Euro 2032.
