Italy's football crisis has deepened after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time, prompting outgoing Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina to release an 11-page reform report that directly attacks the country's blanket ban on gambling advertising and sponsorships introduced in 2018. Published on April 8, the document was originally prepared for a parliamentary hearing canceled after Gravina's resignation. It frames Italy's repeated World Cup failures as symptoms of structural decay rather than short-term mismanagement, arguing that the Dignity Decree has starved Italian football of critical investment while failing to curb problem gambling.
Seven-Year Ban Under Fire: Lost Revenue and Stagnant Youth Development
Gravina cited the final report of Italy's Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into illegal gambling (2022), which found that gambling actually increased after the ban took effect — including among minors — and that illegal wagering grew alongside it. The FIGC report also referenced a 2026 UEFA study on European club finances, which identified betting and gambling companies as the most common shirt sponsor category across the continent, underscoring the competitive disadvantage Italian clubs now face.
Serie A clubs estimate they have lost at least €100 million to €150 million annually in foregone sponsorship revenue since the Dignity Decree was enforced in 2019. Some clubs have circumvented the restrictions through “infotainment” partnerships with gambling subsidiaries — Inter Milan's deal with Betsson Sport being the most prominent — but these arrangements fall well short of full sponsorship value.
Perhaps the most alarming figure in the report: Italy ranks 49th out of 50 monitored leagues for the percentage of minutes played by under-21 players eligible for the national team, at just 1.9%. Foreigners account for 68% of all minutes in Serie A. Professional Italian football collectively incurs more than €700 million per year in aggregate operating losses, compounded by high debt and a history of clubs collapsing or being excluded from competitions.
Proposed Reforms: From Dignity Decree to a New Regulatory Framework
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; and restructuring the league pyramid from Serie A through Serie D. The report lands amid a broader government push to overhaul Italy's gambling regulatory framework. Sports Minister Andrea Abodi, who ran against Gravina for the FIGC presidency in 2018, has described the Dignity Decree as a “blunt populist tool” and has been tasked with developing a replacement.
Abodi presented a Sports Decree last year that included provisions for repealing the ad ban, with a proposed 1% levy on sponsorship revenues earmarked for 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. The 30-day consultation period was expected to conclude before summer, potentially creating a bridge between current prohibition and whatever replaces it.
The European Gaming and Betting Association argued in October 2023 that the Dignity Decree has actively aided the black market, citing estimates of €25 billion in annual unlicensed wagers in Italy and roughly €1 billion in gross gaming revenue lost to offshore operators each year. Meanwhile, Italy's Customs and Monopolies Agency 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.
Legislation to formally 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 like the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party. Gravina was elected FIGC president in October 2018 and oversaw Italy's Euro 2020 triumph, but also presided over the failure to qualify for both the 2022 and 2026 World Cups. Head coach Gennaro Gattuso and general manager Gianluigi Buffon also resigned in the wake of the Bosnia defeat. His successor will be elected on June 22.