New Traceability Rules for Italy's Online Gaming Sector

Italy's Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) has issued a new decision regulating deposits, withdrawals and e-wallet transactions by licensed remote gaming operators. The main purpose of the decision is to make financial movements traceable and to confirm that the payment methods used actually belong to the player.

The text of the decision, published on 22 October 2026, was prepared following objections from retailers about account top-up rules. The weekly cash top-up limit of 100 euros was one of the central issues in this debate. Operators must keep player funds in dedicated bank or post office accounts registered in their own name and report these accounts to ADM.

Bank transfers, direct debits, cards and prepaid cards offered by Italian or EU payment service providers may be used to fund gaming accounts, provided they comply with the relevant authorisation and anti-money laundering requirements. The payer and the recipient must be identifiable, and the transaction date, amount and purpose must be recorded.

Stricter rules apply to alternative payment instruments. The identity of the purchaser must be determined and must match the owner of the gaming account. The instrument may only transfer funds to the account of its owner. Currently eligible instruments may continue to be used until 31 March 2027, but operators must submit a certified report by that date.

The decision also requires that all account top-ups at retailers be recorded, that withdrawals be paid only to an account registered in the player's own name, and that cash withdrawals from retailers or affiliated points of sale be prohibited. The Agency will forward the documents to the Finance Police and the Bank of Italy for review.