Italy May Introduce a Football Betting Levy Worth up to €230m a Year

^{Andrea Abodi, Italy’s sports minister}

A bill has been introduced in the Italian Senate that would create a new levy on bookmakers to support football development, SBC News reports.

Under the proposal, operators would be required to pay 2% of all stakes placed on matches and tournaments organized under the auspices of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), as well as its affiliated professional and amateur leagues.

The levy would apply to both retail betting shops and online betting.

The initiative is part of a broader reform program for Italian football being promoted by Sports Minister Andrea Abodi after Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

If approved by parliament, the law would take effect on January 1, 2027. Bookmakers would be required to transfer the funds to FIGC on a quarterly basis. The procedure and deadlines for payments would be set out in a separate decree by Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance. FIGC would also have to publish an annual report on the funds received and how they were distributed.

The sponsors of the bill estimate that the new levy could generate about €230 million a year.

The funds would be distributed as follows:

• 50% for youth football, the development of Italian players and sports infrastructure;
• 30% for gambling addiction prevention and social sports projects for young people;
• 20% for women’s football and amateur football schools.