Italian football, one of the largest and most traditional markets in the world, is set to start receiving sponsorship from betting companies again in the near future. This was the move that gained momentum last Wednesday (5), with the approval of a resolution by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party, which aims to resume advertising by bookmakers in the country’s football.
The Italian Senate‘s Culture and Sports Committee approved the resolution, and the project meets the demands of local institutions and clubs. The main objective is to open up a new source of revenue, which is already happening in markets with great tradition around the world, the main one being the Premier League.
In England, betting already has around 55% of the football sponsorship market. However, the Premier League is likely to restrict deals with the display of game brands on the front of club shirts in the near future.
How betting can help Italian football
According to the resolution, an annual portion of the profits from sports betting will be allocated to a fund that aims to promote improvements in football, such as the construction of new stadiums and the modernization of existing ones. In addition, it will encourage events and conferences that provide incentives to the entire ecosystem of the sport.
This measure, however, has been strongly criticized by the opposition. The current text aims to overturn the ban imposed in 2018, through the so-called “Dignity Decree”, authored by the 5 Star Movement (M5S) and signed by the then Minister of Labor, Luigi Di Maio.
According to the current text approved by the Senate, the government must “evaluate the modification” of the law. The main argument is that: “the measure largely failed to meet the legislator’s expectations, not proving effective in curbing gambling addiction phenomena, while instead resulting in a reduction in the revenue of sports clubs, which penalized the Italian football system compared to the European context”, says the text.
