Gabriele Gravina, the outgoing president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), has published an 11-page reform report blistering the country's blanket ban on gambling advertising and sports sponsorship, known as the Dignity Decree. The report, released on April 8 after Gravina's resignation following Italy's third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup, argues that the 2019 prohibition has failed to reduce problem gambling while starving Italian football of vital revenues.
The Ban's Unintended Consequences
Gravina cites the 2022 final report of Italy's Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into illegal gambling, which found that overall gambling actually increased after the ban took effect — including among minors — and that illegal wagering expanded alongside it. He also references a 2026 UEFA study on European club finances, identifying betting companies as the most common shirt sponsor category across the continent, underscoring the competitive disadvantage facing Italian clubs. Serie A teams estimate they have lost between €100 million and €150 million annually in foregone sponsorship revenue since the Dignity Decree's implementation.
Structural Decay in Italian Football
The report highlights a dire state of youth development: Italy ranks 49th out of 50 monitored leagues for minutes played by under-21 players eligible for the national team, at just 1.9%. Foreign players account for 68% of all Serie A minutes. Professional Italian football as a whole suffers aggregate operating losses exceeding €700 million per year, compounded by high debt levels and a history of club collapses or exclusion from competitions.
Gravina's proposals include channeling a percentage of betting revenues into grassroots programs, academies and stadium construction; reinstating the “Growth Decree” tax regime for foreign professionals; lifting the advertising and sponsorship ban entirely; and restructuring the league pyramid from Serie A through Serie D.
Political Momentum Builds for Reform
Sports Minister Andrea Abodi, who has described the Dignity Decree as a “blunt populist tool,” previously ran against Gravina for the FIGC presidency and has been tasked with developing a replacement. Last year he presented a Sports Decree including provisions to repeal the ad ban, with a proposed 1% levy on sponsorship revenues allocated to stadium redevelopment, women's and grassroots sport, and addiction programs. Italy's communications regulator AGCOM approved new guidelines for responsible gambling advertising in late March, establishing a narrow framework under which licensed operators can run branded responsible gambling campaigns without breaching the existing ban.
Market Data: Online Gambling and Crypto Payments
Italy's Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) approved 46 operators for the country's new online gambling licensing regime in late 2025, generating €365 million in direct revenue — above government projections. Online gambling gross gaming revenue is projected to surpass €5.5 billion by the end of 2026. While advertising restrictions remain, the market is already exploring crypto payment rails: Italian mobile bank Hype partnered with fintech startup Conio to allow 1.2 million customers to buy Bitcoin, potentially paving the way for compliant crypto gambling transactions in the future.
Looking Ahead
Formal legislation to replace the Dignity Decree has not yet been introduced in parliament. While sponsorship reform enjoys broad political support, easing restrictions on broadcast and digital advertising is expected to face stronger resistance from public health groups and opposition parties such as the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party. However, with Italy's World Cup failures and mounting club financial distress, the pressure for change is unprecedented. Gravina's successor will be elected on June 22.