Italy fines X over gambling ads violations

Jenny Ortiz March 14, 2024

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Italy fines X over gambling ads violations

Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has been slapped with a hefty fine of €1.35 million by Italy’s advertising and communications regulator Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (AGCOM) due to breaches in gambling advertising regulations.

The fine, announced on March 12th, comes as a result of nine violations, each tied to a ‘Blue Tick’ account on the platform promoting gambling and betting content.

This penalty is part of a recent crackdown by Italian authorities on online platforms for similar offenses.

YouTube, Google, Meta, and Twitch earlier faced fines for violating Italy’s ban on gambling advertising as per Article 9 of the Dignity Decree.

Gambling ads ban began in 2019??

AGCOM’s guidelines on the Dignity Decree, endorsed by Italy’s Council of Ministers in July 2018, affirm the prohibition of both direct and indirect forms of advertising, sponsorship, or promotional communications related to gambling.

In addition to traditional advertising channels, commercial communications including product placement, distribution of branded items (including contests featuring branded products as prizes), advertorials, and influencer marketing are all restricted.

The intention behind these measures is to decrease the incidence of gambling addiction and enhance player protection efforts, particularly for vulnerable demographics such as problem gamblers, minors, and the elderly.

Meanwhile, AGCOM has outlined specific avenues through which operators can engage with customers.

For instance, informative communications are exempt from the decree’s restrictions.

This means that information such as sports odds, jackpot updates, game-winning probabilities, available bonuses, and minimum bet sizes can still be disseminated to the public through Italian media platforms.

GRR bounces back in 2022??

After experiencing a significant decline at the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the total gross gaming revenue (GGR) of Italy’s gambling market rebounded in 2022.

According to?Statista, the market’s combined GGR, which includes both retail and online gambling, exceeded €20 billion, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.?