Italy’s new coalition government finalized a draft of their Dignity Decree, a move that will see online gambling advertising and sponsorship’s banned. The ban would take effect on January 1st, 2019 and would apply to any form of advertising that relates to games or wagering with money.
The advertising ban will cover any means including artistic events, sporting events, television broadcasts, radio, daily press, billboards, online and more.
The ban stated that it applies to not only advertising but also sponsorships, along with every form of content communication promotions that are not counted as tabular advertising, such as the superimposition of the brand, activities, name, etc., that promotes betting or gambling. READ SO: ITALY GAMBLING INDUSTRY STAYS IN THE AIR
The body behind the nation’s top soccer league has reportedly expressed ‘extreme worry’ regarding the recent passage of legislation that is to ban all gambling-related advertisements from the first day of next year.
The Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A stated that Monday’s approval of the Decreto Legge Dignita by the nation’s Council of Ministers could cause its member clubs to lose millions of dollars in sponsorship revenues.
“The Lega [Nazionale Professionisti] Serie A is following with extreme worry the developments of the Decreto Legge Dignita and the impact on Italian football of rules that ban advertising from betting firms,” reportedly read a statement from the Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A.
Twelve of the nation’s 20 top-flight Serie A soccer clubs had sponsorship agreements with gambling firms last season and warned that the looming prohibition could negatively impact earnings from the sale of television rights as broadcasters may struggle to market advertising slots.
(Pictured Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy)
