EGBA-LOGiCO Joint Letter: Italy’s Proposed Ban on Gambling Advertisements will be Counterproductive

On Monday 30 July, the Italian Parliament will debate a proposal to ban all gambling advertisements in Italy, a provision included in the Italian Government’s recent ‘Dignity Decree’. The Government has justified the introduction of the advertising ban as a means to protect consumers and reduce gambling addiction. Ahead of the Parliamentary debate, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) and the Italian Online Gaming Association (LOGiCO) have sent a joint letter to Italian MPs expressing significant concerns about the impact of the ban and its unintended effect.

EGBA and LOGiCO believe that while the proposed ban is well-intentioned, it will have a counterproductive effect because advertising plays an important role in directing consumers to those gambling websites which are allowed and supervised by the Italian gambling regulator and adhere to local consumer protection laws. The organisations warn that a blanket ban on gambling advertising will hurt Italian consumers by pushing them towards unregulated gambling websites that do not protect them.

Read the joint letter below.