Italy sees surge in online gambling revenue and participation

Online gambling is seeing significant growth across various Italian regions, with digital betting increasingly replacing traditional physical gambling. In the province of Brescia, online play exceeded 1.55 billion euros in 2025, marking a 13.2% increase from 2024.

In the small municipality of Pievepelago, the phenomenon is particularly acute. Despite local internet connectivity challenges, residents spent approximately 7.45 million euros online in 2025, averaging nearly 5,000 euros per person in the 18-74 age group. When combined with physical gambling such as slots and lotteries, the total expenditure in the town reached roughly 9 million euros.

Nationally, the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency reported that total public gaming revenue reached 165.33 billion euros in 2025. Of this, the online channel has surpassed 100 billion euros in collection, representing a 221% increase since 2018. While total collection is high, the actual net expenditure—the amount remaining after payouts to players—was approximately 21.87 billion euros.