Italian professional football leagues and clubs have received direct correspondence from AGCOM ordering strict compliance with gambling advertising rules throughout the 2026/2027 season.
The regulator’s position is unambiguous: the restrictions embedded in the 2018 Dignity Decree remain binding, irrespective of any moves in Parliament to strike them down.
That political pressure to repeal the Dignity Decree has not persuaded AGCOM to soften its enforcement posture, signalling that the agency intends to act on existing law until any legislative change is formally enacted.
Running alongside that message to football, AGCOM is now pressing stakeholders to respond urgently to a broader consultation examining how gambling advertising rules should be modernised and made more transparent.
The consultation centres on discrepancies the agency has already acknowledged within the current regulatory framework established by the 2018 Dignity Decree.
A core concern driving the review is the range of methods through which gambling can be promoted indirectly, effectively allowing operators or associated parties to sidestep the advertising prohibition that the Decree put in place.
AGCOM is scrutinising the specific circumstances under which identities connected to gambling interests might be positioned in ways that achieve promotional outcomes without triggering a direct advertising classification.
Critically, the agency has made clear that satisfying individual technical conditions will not automatically guarantee an exemption from the rules.
Where AGCOM judges that the overall message, the surrounding context, or the likely audience creates a meaningful connection to gambling, the agency retains the power to refuse any exemption claim regardless of whether individual criteria appear satisfied.
That approach gives regulators considerable discretionary authority and suggests a shift toward outcomes-based assessment rather than a checklist-style compliance model.
The dual-track approach, enforcing existing rules on football now while simultaneously consulting on future frameworks, reflects the pressure AGCOM faces to address a regulatory landscape that has not kept pace with the industry.
Stakeholders with an interest in the outcome of the consultation have been urged to submit feedback without delay, as the agency works toward resolving the inconsistencies it has identified within current Italian gambling advertising law.
