ADM updates IT rules in crackdown on gambling concessions
Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) has overhauled its IT and licensing framework, tightening regulatory controls to strengthen the sector’s digital core and close the gaps in compliance and transparency.
At the heart of the update is a revised IT checklist for gambling concessions, published as part of ADM’s broader 2025–2027 Activity and Organisation Plan (PIAO). ADM’s checklist strengthens rules around system design, data protection, and real-time monitoring, which is now required for anyone holding a licence in Italy.
But the checklist goes beyond infrastructure. One of the most disruptive changes is the ban on ‘skin’ sites, which blocks operators from running multiple branded platforms under a single licence. It’s a change that’s already sending shockwaves through esports, white-label networks, and secondary skin markets.
Compliance just got technical
Under the new checklist, every licensed operator must pass third-party assessments by an Organismo di Verifica (ODV) or verification body. These assessments cover platform operations, from disaster recovery and modular infrastructure to certified RNG protocols and session management.
Systems must now be capable of real-time monitoring, flagging suspicious activity instantly, and storing audit logs that are tamper-proof and retrievable. ADM wants platforms to log users out after 20 minutes if they’ve gone quiet. On top of that, there should be safety tools players can set for themselves. It’s not about ticking boxes. It is about building protection straight into the system.
These changes align with ADM’s broader licensing reforms outlined in Italy’s take on licensing framework for online gambling, which requires applicants to pay a €7 million licence fee and prove revenues above €3 million over two consecutive years. The submission deadline is 30 May 2025, with a nine-year concession period up for grabs.
Skin in the game? Not anymore
Perhaps the most headline-grabbing fallout from ADM’s checklist is the outright ban on skin gambling websites in a move that reshapes how esports-related gambling and skin trading will function in the country.
Previously, operators could launch multiple skins under a single licence, allowing rapid market entry via white-label deals. Now, each concessionaire may only operate one website. That means no affiliated or re-skinned platforms, parallel brands, or workaround websites linked to the same licence.
This spells trouble for operators who built their businesses on high-volume, low-cost branding strategies. Analysts warn the change could place added pressure on game developers and esports ecosystems that once saw skin wagering as a lucrative engagement and monetisation tool.
As detailed in a SiGMA News article, Italian authority unveils safer gambling reforms; the aim is to eliminate unregulated or loosely monitored gambling access points, particularly those that target younger or high-risk players.
Economic shake-ups and black market risks
The rising cost of compliance will likely give an advantage to operators who have the resources to keep up. Smaller brands that built their model on white-label deals may find it hard to adapt, risking exit or absorption as the market narrows.
Developers like Valve, whose skins ecosystem has powered billions in trading, may face reduced demand in affected regions despite their efforts to distance themselves from gambling use. Analysts caution that the crackdown could push some players toward black market platforms, particularly if enforcement isn’t matched by clear legal alternatives.
Still, ADM is betting that its modernised framework will generate over €350 million in fees and €100 million annually in revenue while putting Italy at the forefront of regulated digital gambling in Europe.
For the full details, visit the official ADM portal.
Because in Italy’s new regime, you’ll need more than a slick skin to stay in the game.
