Italy’s MEF Proposes Retail Concession Extension and Scratch-Card Tender in 2027 Budget Measures

Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance is evaluating provisional measures for the regulated gambling sector ahead of the 2027 budget. The steps under review could deliver between €400 million ($460 million) and €500 million ($575 million) in state revenue, though all elements remain unfinalized and open to revision before the Budget Law presentation in October.

The largest element is a three-year extension of retail gambling concessions due to expire at the end of 2026. The Ministry of Economy and Finance is weighing a shift of that deadline to the end of 2029. This would sustain licensing fee collections while officials trial new machine standards, resume regional talks, and prepare longer-term tenders.

The extension follows Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni‘s August decision to end nearly three years of negotiations with the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces. That process produced no agreement on the future distribution of betting shops, gaming halls, and machines. The Tax Delegation Law mandate lapsed on August 29. The abandoned tender is projected to cost the state an estimated €1.5 billion ($1.72 billion) in proceeds that will not materialize.

A temporary extension is modeled to generate €200 million ($230 million) to €250 million ($287.5 million) per year. Current fees stand at €120 ($138) annually per AWP machine, €4,000 ($4,600) per VLT, €9,500 ($10,925) per betting agency, €5,700 ($6,555) per betting corner, and €2,800 ($3,220) monthly per bingo hall.

Revenue Opportunities Beyond the Extension

Additional proposals include groundwork for the next scratch-card concession, now held by Brightstar Lottery through September 30, 2028. A starting price near €1 billion ($1.15 billion) is under discussion, drawing on the recent Lotto concession that produced more than €2.2 billion ($2.53 billion) in upfront revenue. Scratch cards currently generate close to €500 million ($575 million) yearly from a 6% premium on roughly €8 billion ($9.2 billion) in sales. The tender itself would not feed the 2027 budget directly, as award and payments are unlikely before 2028.

Further options are a digital Lotto receipt projected to raise €15 million ($17.25 million) and one extra Lotto and SuperEnalotto draw estimated at €50 million ($57.5 million) in annual revenue. As reported by Yogonet International, none of these figures are locked in.

The Limits of Short-Term Extensions

Licensees expected a permanent settlement for the next generation of retail concessions. Lottomatica CEO Guglielmo Angelozzi has told investors the delay has complicated the group’s long-term financial planning. It remains unclear whether operators will accept another three-year bridge while operating under fragmented regional and municipal rules. The Meloni government has completed its online licensing overhaul but has deferred the harder land-based questions. Operators now face renewed short-term decisions without the regulatory certainty a full reorganization would have delivered. The coming weeks will show whether the Treasury’s immediate revenue goals align with sustained industry investment in the retail channel.

Reporting: Yogonet International

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