Italian Football Considering Allowing Gambling Sponsorships?
Rewritten Article:
Title: The Potential Return of Gambling Sponsorship in Italian Football
By Miriam Prellwitz, Edited by Angela Burke, Published on: 27.02.2025, Updated on: 29.04.2025.
There's buzz in the Italian sports scene as media outlets report that the Italian government is contemplating a shift in policy, aiming to abolish the long-lasting ban on betting sponsors in football. This decision seems to be a response to the significant financial hits Italian football clubs have taken over the past years.
Italian Sports Minister's backing for change
For several days now, Gazzetta dello Sport, a well-known Italian newspaper, has been suggesting an impending end to the ban on gambling sponsorship in Italian football. It's rumored that Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi, 64, is a supporter of this initiative and is actively engaging with Italian football clubs. Both the President of the Serie A and a Senate commission are also said to be on board.
The proposed change comes with certain stipulations. Clubs would be required to invest 1% of their income from gambling sponsorship in a fund for social and sporting projects. This money would be used to support women's football, youth programs, and modernize stadiums, among other things.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Senator Paolo Marcheschi, 63, has put forth a proposal that will be voted on in the upcoming week. In his proposal, Marcheschi recommends the government evaluate whether an alteration in the current advertising ban related to gambling and betting in relation to sports events is necessary.
Marcheschi believes that the logos of gambling and sports betting providers should return to the jerseys and stadiums of Italian football clubs as soon as possible. Concurrently, the senator proposes launching a public education campaign on the topic of sports betting. The need for such a campaign is evident in the data from the previous year. According to a study, Italians have the highest gambling expenses in Europe, and problem gambling is prevalent. Intriguingly, the Italian government announced a cut of 50 million EUR for the fight against gambling addiction in December 2024.
Current rules hinder Italian football
Currently, there is a strict ban on gambling and sports betting sponsorship in football in Italy. Clubs competing in the Serie A and Serie B are forbidden from being sponsored by a gambling or sports betting provider. This rule applies to both advertising on jerseys and in stadiums.
This ban took effect in 2019, leading numerous clubs to terminate their contracts with gambling sponsors and find alternative financial backers. Experts estimate that Italian football has suffered losses of at least 700 million EUR due to the ban. Predictions were made prior to the complete ban that Italian football would fall behind other leagues internationally in terms of competitiveness. A lifting of the ban could signal an improvement in the financial situation of the clubs.
Furthermore, the current regulations have brought confusion to the table. Reports suggest that even the clubs are unsure about which types of sponsorship are allowed and which are not. Experts estimate that this has enriched the black market for illegal sports betting.
Circumventing the sponsorship ban
The ineffectiveness of the rules surrounding gambling sponsorship in Italy is evident not only in the significant financial losses of the clubs, but also in the bypassing tactics of several clubs over the past years. They've managed to evade the ban by exploiting a loophole—by replacing the promotion of their gambling sponsors with advertising for their subsidiaries. This approach allows them to comply with the ban while still indirectly advertising for their sponsors.
This strategy can also be observed in Belgian football. There, a similar complete gambling advertising ban came into force on January 1, 2025. Belgian football clubs are also said to be circumventing the ban by advertising subsidiaries of their gambling sponsors.
These examples raise questions about whether total bans on gambling and sports betting sponsorship in football are viable or effective solutions.
When will a decision be made?
It appears that plans to lift the ban on gambling sponsorship in Italian football are in full swing. Given that the Minister of Sport and the President of Serie A are actively involved and pushing for implementation, a quick agreement could be reached. The Italian Senate is expected to vote on the lifting of the sponsorship ban as early as next week. However, it's difficult to predict the speed at which a corresponding law change can be drafted and implemented.
Given the proactiveness of the parties involved, Italian football clubs could once again advertise with gambling and sports betting providers in the near future.
- What is the potential change in the Italian sports scene? The Italian government is contemplating the abolishment of the long-lasting ban on betting sponsors in football.
- Who is said to be a supporter of this initiative and actively engaging with Italian football clubs? Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi, 64.
- To address concerns about problem gambling, Senator Paolo Marcheschi, 63, has proposed a public education campaign on sports betting, should the ban be lifted.
- In Italian football, clubs would be required to invest 1% of their income from gambling sponsorship in a fund for sporting and social projects, amid the proposed changes.
- The Italian government's proposals regarding gambling sponsorship in football face criticism as the current total ban on gambling advertising has been enriching the black market for illegal sports betting.
- As the Italian Senate votes on the lifting of the sponsorship ban next week, Italian football clubs could begin advertising with gambling and sports betting providers once again in the near future.
