Italy’s ADM Strengthens Action Against Illegal Gambling, 2023 Blue Book Shows
Published: September 17, 2025 | Author: Ron Clarke
Italy’s gambling regulator, the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM), has stepped up its enforcement actions in recent years. Its 2023 Blue Book, published only recently, confirms this trend, showing how the agency has increasingly focused on tackling unlicensed online gambling and has relied above all on systematically blocking access to these platforms. The Blue Book is ADM’s annual report, providing a detailed review of the agency’s activities, from taxation and enforcement to data on gambling and other regulated sectors.
According to the ADM’s 2023 report, nearly 500 websites offering unauthorized gambling services were shut down over the course of the year. This was more than double the original target of around 210 sites, underscoring the scale of illegal operations still attempting to reach Italian users. In addition, ADM carried out more than 27,000 inspections in the gambling sector in 2023, covering both online and land-based activities, which confirms the regulator’s broad approach to enforcement. The following year, the pressure increased even further, with 721 unlicensed websites closed in 2024.
ADM’s blacklisting mechanism has become one of its most important enforcement tools. Under Italian law, the agency can order internet service providers to block access to domains offering gambling services without a license. The official “black list” of prohibited websites is publicly available and regularly updated on the ADM portal. This transparency ensures that players can verify which operators are authorized to operate in the Italian market and which are not.
The scale of the effort is evident from the numbers. In September 2025 alone, the ADM blocked more than 23 illegal sites, bringing the number of domains on the blacklist to 11,400. This figure highlights how persistent the problem of unlicensed operators remains, but also how consistently ADM has been able to expand its enforcement reach year after year.
Despite the progress, questions remain about how effective these measures can be in the long term. Operators that lose one domain often resurface quickly with another, raising doubts about whether ADM’s approach can permanently disrupt their activity. There are also legal considerations: in some cases, blocked sites may attempt to contest their inclusion on the blacklist or request reinstatement if they can demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. Finally, the technical side of enforcement brings its own challenges. While ADM works with internet service providers to implement the blocks, questions persist about how consistently and effectively the measures are applied across networks, and whether there are gaps that allow certain sites to remain accessible.
What emerges is a regulator determined to stay one step ahead of illegal operators. By using its legal powers, working with internet providers, and considering new government measures, ADM is continuing its fight against unlicensed gambling.
