Lazio’s $22 Million Polymarket Deal at Risk After Platform Is Blocked in Italy

Italy’s gambling regulator, the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), has again added prediction markets platform Polymarket to its list of blocked websites, effectively classifying it as an unlicensed gambling operator, Agipronews reported.

The decision could create problems for Lazio, which signed a $22 million sponsorship agreement with Polymarket in April 2026. The platform became the Rome-based football club’s main shirt sponsor after Lazio had spent nearly three years without a principal commercial partner.

Italy has banned advertising and sponsorship by betting companies and other gambling operators since 2018. The country’s laws also prohibit the promotion of operators that do not hold a local licence.

Should the ADM’s decision remain in force, the Polymarket partnership could fall under the existing restrictions, potentially forcing Lazio to review the terms of the agreement.

Stefano Tino, Betsson’s managing director for Southern Europe, backed the regulator’s position, saying the same rules should apply to all companies operating in the sector.

Polymarket was previously added to Italy’s blocked websites list in 2025 but resumed operations following proceedings before the Lazio Regional Administrative Court. The ADM must now refer the case to prosecutors in Rome, who will consider whether to open criminal proceedings.

Polymarket is also facing restrictions elsewhere in Europe. France’s regulator has declared prediction markets illegal, Belgium and Portugal have blocked access to the platform, while Spanish authorities have accused Polymarket of operating without a local licence.