LOGiCO Chairman Marasco: Regulations Must Be Measured by Their Results

LOGiCO Chairman Moreno Marasco assessed Italy's new online betting licensing framework in an interview with iGamingExpress at SiGMA Rome. According to Marasco, the association was founded in 2016 and has been led by him since 2017. The association's role has evolved from defending operators' interests toward contributing to the shaping of the regulatory framework.

Marasco pointed to the association's participation in the EN 18144 standard, prepared through the European standardization process and addressing harm indicators, as a concrete example. He listed the association's priorities as strengthening institutional dialogue, promoting responsible business practices, and protecting consumers without undermining the competitiveness of the legal market.

On the licensing system, Marasco said it could encourage investment and innovation, but that high concession fees and complex technical requirements could raise barriers to entry. In his view, the key issue is less the level of the cost than its proportionality, predictability and cumulative effect. He stressed that licensed operators bear heavy obligations, while unlicensed operators can avoid most of these costs. He also said the financial flows going to unlicensed operators should be targeted.

Speaking at the ACADI Forum, Marasco argued that regulations should be judged by their real-world effects rather than their intentions. In this context, he cited the betting advertising ban introduced by the Dignity Decree as an example. He said it should be measured whether the ban reduces harmful gambling, or whether it limits licensed operators' ability to communicate responsibly while restricting unlicensed operators less.