Decreto Dignità and the Millions Lost: How the Betting Advertising Ban Weakened Serie A?
In 2018, Italy became the first country in Europe to introduce a complete ban on gambling advertising in both media and sports. The law, known as the Decreto Dignità, was intended to protect the public from gambling addiction. In practice, it led to financial losses amounting to hundreds of millions of euros and significantly weakened the competitiveness of Serie A clubs compared to the rest of Europe.
How Much Did Serie A Lose After the Gambling Ad Ban?
Before the ban came into effect in January 2019, over half of Serie A clubs had sponsorship deals with betting operators. In the 2017–18 season, 12 out of 20 teams worked with gambling brands, either as shirt sponsors or commercial partners.
Once the ban was implemented, those deals ended. Clubs lost access to one of the fastest-growing sectors in global sports marketing.
According to estimates from Lega Serie A and the industry group LOGiCO, the league lost €80–100 million annually due to the ban. For smaller clubs, that revenue was irreplaceable. Unlike larger sides like Juventus or Inter, mid-table teams couldn’t turn to international tech or finance brands to fill the gap.
In internal projections submitted to the Italian government, Serie A estimated that the total financial damage caused by the ban could reach €700 million over its first three years. This figure included not only lost sponsorship deals, but also reduced commercial appeal, lower matchday activation value, and missed international marketing opportunities.
The ban was comprehensive. It included shirt sponsorships, digital content, LED advertising, club apps, websites, TV broadcasts, and all media tied to Italian sport. The restriction wasn’t limited to Serie A – it extended to Serie B, basketball, volleyball, and even esports.
How Clubs Circumvented the Serie A Betting Sponsorship Ban?
The advertising ban didn’t mean that betting companies disappeared from stadiums. A clear example is Inter Milan’s 2023 partnership with Betsson Group. Officially, the club teamed up with Betsson Sport, the media and content division of the operator, which does not offer gambling services in Italy. The rebranding allowed the company to maintain a visible presence without violating the law. Similar strategies have been used by other clubs, including StarCasinò Sport (Napoli), 1xBet.News (Sassuolo), and Wwin Sport (Fiorentina).
This tactic is part of a broader trend: creating “sports” sub-brands that don’t operate as bookmakers locally but are easily associated with global betting companies. The connection is clear — for fans, media, and digital audiences, the branding still signals gambling, even if the product isn’t technically available in the Italian market.
Another method involves content sponsorship. Betting companies now fund pre-match previews, statistical analyses, and football-related quizzes on club-affiliated websites and portals — without directly advertising betting services. This model is used by brands like LeoVegas.News (AC Milan), StarCasinò Blog (Napoli), and Planetwin365.News (formerly Lazio).
Clubs have also taken advantage of geo-targeted LED advertising. During international broadcasts of Serie A matches, pitchside LED boards show different ads based on the viewer’s location. For example, a fan watching in Asia — where betting ads are allowed — might see promotions for gambling brands, while an Italian viewer sees only neutral content.
Why Serie A Fell Behind Other European Leagues?
The timing of Italy’s blanket gambling ad ban coincided with a period of aggressive commercial growth across other major European leagues. While Serie A clubs lost access to a key revenue stream, rivals in England, Germany, and Spain either maintained regulated partnerships or introduced transitional models. The financial gap widened — and was clearly reflected in transfer activity.
According to the Deloitte Sports Business Group’s “Football Transfer Report 2023”, Premier League clubs spent a record £2.36 billion during the 2023 summer transfer window — the highest ever for a single window. This was £440 million more than in summer 2022, and nearly £900 million more than the combined spend across LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1.
Serie A clubs were not competitive at this level. Spending was conservative, with most Italian sides relying on loans, free agents, and player sales to fund new arrivals. The lack of betting sponsorship revenue, combined with lower international broadcast income, left little flexibility in budgets.
Premier League (England)
A front-of-shirt betting sponsor ban will come into effect in 2026/27. Until then, sleeve sponsors, LED advertising and digital assets remain legal. In 2023/24, Premier League clubs earned an estimated £104 million from gambling sponsorships.
LaLiga (Spain)
Spain introduced a ban in 2021, but existing contracts were honoured. A transition plan and financial relief fund helped mitigate the short-term impact. Online content sponsorships and regional betting deals remain active.
Bundesliga (Germany)
Germany allows gambling sponsorships under a licensing framework. Operators must meet strict regulatory standards. Clubs like Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Eintracht Frankfurt continue to partner with brands such as Tipico, bwin and Betway.
Serie A had no such safeguards. The Decreto Dignità was implemented without a transition period or compensation model. It removed a major commercial category overnight — and left clubs with fewer tools to compete financially.
Serie A Clubs Pull Back on Spending and Infrastructure
The absence of betting revenue didn’t just impact transfer budgets — it reshaped how Italian clubs build their squads and operate off the pitch.
With no income from one of the most valuable commercial categories, Serie A clubs were forced to make structural compromises. Scouting departments were downsized. Contract extensions were delayed. Stadium redevelopment projects — like those proposed by Roma or Inter — were postponed or shelved entirely.
Between 2019 and 2024, Serie A became a “selling league.” Top talents like Sandro Tonali (AC Milan to Newcastle), Kim Min-jae (Napoli to Bayern), and Sergej Milinković-Savić (Lazio to Al Hilal) left not for sporting ambition, but financial necessity.
Clubs shifted toward short-term, low-risk deals. According to Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance 2024, commercial income made up just €0.9 billion of Serie A’s €2.9 billion total revenue — a 31% share. In the Premier League, commercial revenue accounted for nearly 33% of £6.1 billion.
That 2% gap may seem small — but when converted to real money, it’s a €200+ million shortfall. Enough to fund youth academies, analytics teams, or digital media operations — areas where Italian clubs now lag behind.
Is Italy Reversing the Gambling Ad Ban in 2025?
In February 2025, the Italian government confirmed it was reconsidering the national betting sponsorship ban in professional sport.
As reported by FootyHeadlines and InsiderSport, Lega Serie A is in discussions with the Ministry of Sport to introduce a new model:
- Lifting the total ban on gambling sponsorships
- Implementing a 1% levy on betting revenue
- Allocating funds to youth football, women’s sport, and stadium upgrades
The proposal has received broad support from Serie A clubs, especially those that suffered most under the ban.
The gambling ad ban was introduced with public health in mind, but its economic fallout is measurable. Serie A lost hundreds of millions in sponsorship revenue and was left without a viable alternative. While other leagues adapted through regulation, transition periods, or compensation mechanisms, Italy imposed a hard stop — and isolated itself financially.
Clubs cut spending. Talent left. Infrastructure projects stalled.
Now, with the government considering a reversal, the question is not whether the ban should end — but why it lasted this long.