Italy’s gambling authority unveils 2025-2027 PIAO plan for safer gambling practices
The Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) has released its “Activity and Organisation Plan 2025 to 2027 (PIAO)”, a roadmap for its future regulatory initiatives. The plan, annexed to Italy’s Budget 2025, outlines the agency’s objectives for regulating major sectors such as gambling, energy, alcohol, and tobacco. With an emphasis on the modernisation of gambling regulation, ADM seeks to provide a safer, more transparent, and technologically advanced gaming landscape.
Key objectives of the ADM’s PIAO plan
The 2025-2027 PIAO focuses on strengthening regulatory oversight, increasing transparency in gambling operations, enhancing protections for players, and tackling financial crimes in the gambling industry.
ADM’s 2025-2027 strategy aligns with Italy’s new “Reorganisation of Gambling Decree” (March 2024), which implements tighter governance and transparency controls for the gambling sector. Through the modernisation of gambling legislation, ADM seeks to guarantee transparent and equitable licensing procedures, enhance the supervision of online and land-based gaming operators, and limit the dangers of criminal penetration into the market.
Making gambling safer is one of the PIAO’s main priorities. ADM will implement new rules to safeguard vulnerable players, ensure all licensed operators promote responsible gaming policies, and impose stricter penalties on non-compliant operators. Operators are now obliged to make self-declarations of compliance. ADM will cross-check operator records to prevent fraud and ensure accuracy.
Doubling gambling inspections from 2025
Starting in 2025, ADM will tighten control by doubling inspections of gambling establishments to better enforce betting shop, bingo hall, and Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) venue betting and payment compliance. ADM will also enforce stricter regulations mandating gambling licences to remit concession fees within 25 days, avoiding delays and financial liabilities.
Tackling money laundering with technology
To combat illegal gambling and money laundering, ADM will coordinate with EU AML directives. Its strategy involves monitoring financial channels to identify illicit transactions. In addition, ADM is collaborating with the Financial Police and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) for enhanced reporting, ensuring that illegal funds do not enter the gambling process.
ADM will launch a new Integrated Control System (SIC) to provide real-time monitoring of gambling activities, identify suspicious behaviour more quickly, and improve risk assessment and compliance tracking. By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), ADM aims to automate regulatory tasks, reduce administrative delays, and improve overall efficiency.
Increase transparency and public information
ADM will work to increase transparency in gambling regulation by issuing periodic reports on enforcement activity and launching an open data portal for stakeholders. ADM will partner with European regulators to fight illegal online gambling and stop offshore operators from targeting Italian players.
