Italian gambling sector growth and illegal market trends

Since 2016, residents of Italy’s Brescia province have wagered over €23 billion, making the area one of the nation’s top gambling markets. In 2025, the province generated €3.22 billion in bets, with online gambling accounting for over 48% of that amount. Specifically, online play in Brescia exceeded €1.55 billion in 2025, a 13.2% increase from 2024. Per-capita gambling expenditure in Brescia averaged €2,560, including minors, which has prompted concerns regarding the sector’s appeal to younger residents.

In the municipality of Pievepelago, online spending reached approximately €7.45 million in 2025, averaging nearly €5,000 per person in the 18-74 age group. When combined with physical gambling, total expenditure in the town reached roughly €9 million.

A Ministry of Economy report released in April 2026 showed that Italy’s total gambling turnover rose to €165 billion in 2025, a 5% increase from the previous year, generating €11.4 billion in tax revenue. The Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency reported total public gaming revenue reached €165.33 billion in 2025. While physical gambling fell 1.3% to €64.4 billion, the digital segment expanded 9.5% to €100.88 billion, representing a 221% increase in online collection since 2018. The actual net expenditure—the amount remaining after payouts—was approximately €21.87 billion.

Regional activity remains diverse. In 2024, basketball betting contributed approximately €2.5 billion to the €25 billion sports-betting market. In Basilicata, 2025 gambling activity exceeded €1.6 billion, driven by smartphone-based online bets. Challenges regarding unlicensed activity persist, with an estimated illicit market of €3 billion annually and significant interest in “Telegram casino” methods to bypass regulatory blocks.