Gambling operators in Italy are
gearing up for the new gambling advertising ban in the country. The prohibition
will come with some flexibility related to affiliate marketing and search
engine optimization. AGCOM, the telecom watchdog of the country released
details related to the new advertising policy last Friday. The new measures are
less punitive than the ones proposed in the Dignity Decree.
The new advertising standards
will come into force on July 14. The policy guidelines formalize previously
announced plans to ban all direct promotions of gambling via broadcast media.
It will also include text message promos and online banner ads. Even
sponsorship of sports teams and events is under moratorium. The regulator has
cracked down heavily on stealth promotional campaigns like distribution of
branded products, media advertorials and even social media influencers
spreading the brand message.
Operators will be allowed to use
indexing services so their domains can pop up when users look for relevant
terms using a search engine. Operators are also allowed to promote charitable
and social initiatives. However, they will not contain any logos or inducements
to gamble. Operators who advertise the potential negative effects of their
gambling products will also be exempted from this rule.
Third-party affiliates can
continue using the brand names of gambling operators in limited capacities. The
affiliates can compare odds on different operators on sporting events, compare
bonus offers, detail the odds of winning a sporting contest, etc. All their
content should allow users to make “informed choices.”
Retail betting shops can continue
displaying their signage as long as they are displaying brand logos. They
cannot include gambling inducing messages. Land-based casino operators can
continue marketing with relative impunity. AGCOM can slap operators with a fine
of up to 20% of the value of the advertising/sponsorship contract. The fine
will be limited to €50k per incident.
Gaming attorney Stefano Sbordini
commented on the cautious reactions of the Italian gambling industry and called
it a “work-in-progress.” He suggested that the regulator will provide further
clarifications on some of the points before the July 14 deadline for compliance
arrives.
LeoVegas’s CEO of online casino,
Niklas Lindahl, praises the AGCOM for their efforts. He credited them for
leaving some wiggle room for operators, especially for SEO. Lindahl noted that
the Dignity Decree could have risked the Italian gambling sector as well as its
communication, sports, and journalism industry. He went on to call it a time
bomb for the Italian economy.
LeoVegas had filed a legal
challenge to the Dignity Decree at the European Commission last year. Lindahl
hoped that the Italian government would rethink its restrictive measures. He
thinks that these measures will only make local operators lose market share to
international sites.