Best Betting Sites in Italy 2026

How to compare betting sites in Italy

Italy entered 2026 with a very different online betting market. Hundreds of websites that previously operated under shared licensing arrangements disappeared or moved to new platforms. The country's gambling regulator, Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM), introduced a system in which every authorised website must be directly linked to a specific concession.

The official register now contains 52 online gambling concessions held by 46 companies. These include sports betting operators and businesses focused on other gambling products.

For anyone comparing betting sites in Italy, the licensed domain matters more than the international reputation of its brand.

Why did Italy change its betting licences?

The reform took effect on 13 November 2025, following Legislative Decree No. 41/2024.

New online gambling concessions cost €7 million and remain valid for nine years. The previous system allowed multiple websites to operate through arrangements with a single licence holder. Under the new framework, each concession is associated with one authorised website.

That distinction matters when searching for Italian betting sites. An international operator might have several country-specific domains, but only the domain listed by ADM is covered by its Italian authorisation.

The regulator publishes concession numbers, company names and website addresses. Checking all three is more reliable than trusting a licence logo displayed at the bottom of a webpage.

A licence issued in Malta or another European country does not automatically permit a bookmaker to serve Italy.

Serie A is only part of the betting market

Italian football dominates much of the domestic sports betting calendar. Serie A attracts attention throughout the season, while the Coppa Italia creates additional knockout fixtures.

Yet the range of sports available locally extends further.

Tennis has become particularly prominent, with Italian players competing at the highest international level. The Italian Open in Rome is one of the country's most important annual sporting events.

Cycling also has deep roots. The Giro d'Italia attracts international coverage, and motorsport fans follow Formula 1 and MotoGP events.

When comparing online bookmakers in Italy, the number of listed events tells only part of the story. Market rules, odds and settlement conditions can differ.

For example, a football bet on the result after 90 minutes is not necessarily settled using the final result after extra time. The distinction becomes important during knockout competitions.

What happens to winnings and withdrawals?

Licensed Italian betting accounts operate in euros.

Available payment methods depend on the operator. Bank transfers, payment cards and electronic wallets may be supported, but deposit availability does not guarantee that the same method can receive withdrawals.

Players must also complete identity verification.

The process, commonly called KYC (Know Your Customer), establishes the account holder's identity and helps prevent payments to unauthorised third parties.

Italy's tax treatment is another important distinction. Winnings paid through authorised domestic betting operators generally do not require a separate personal income-tax declaration from the player because the relevant gambling taxation is handled through the regulated system.

Money received from gambling operators outside that framework may raise different tax questions.

The ADM register should therefore be checked before assuming that a foreign sportsbook offers the same legal and financial protections.

Why are betting advertisements difficult to find?

Italy has one of Europe's strictest gambling advertising regimes.

The 2018 Dignity Decree introduced a broad prohibition on advertising and sponsorship connected with gambling for money.

It covers television, radio, websites, social networks and other forms of promotion, including indirect advertising.

The restrictions also apply to licensed operators. Holding an ADM concession does not automatically permit a company to advertise freely.

This explains why promotional material aimed at Italian audiences must be treated differently from ordinary information about gambling regulations.

Can players exclude themselves from every bookmaker?

Italy operates a national self-exclusion system known as the Registro Unico Autoesclusi.

It allows players to restrict access across all authorised online gambling operators, rather than closing accounts individually.

The updated system also supports more targeted exclusions, including specific operators or gambling categories.

Temporary exclusions can last up to 270 days. An indefinite exclusion cannot be revoked immediately.

Online gambling is restricted to adults aged 18 or older.