Italy’s ADM Sets Traceable Payment Rules for Online Gambling Accounts
Published: November 8, 2026 | Author: Roxy Vance
Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) has told licensed online gambling operators to move player money only through payment methods that can be traced. Its determination, dated October 22, 2026, decides how players can fund and cash out their accounts: which methods qualify, what voucher and PIN products must do, and a ban on withdrawals at shops.
The rules carry out a 2024 decree reorganizing Italian gambling. They come as the Council of State has issued a set of rulings on ADM’s separate register of top-up shops.
What Changes
Bank transfers, direct debits, payment cards and prepaid cards all count as traceable when they come from a payment provider in Italy or the EU. A method qualifies if it identifies payer and payee and records the date, amount and purpose of the transaction.
Other payment products, such as those reloaded by voucher or PIN, are allowed only under stricter terms. They must meet six requirements:
- The buyer is identified and is the same person as the gaming account holder.
- The payment can only top up that person’s own account.
- The transaction can’t be changed.
- Only the identified holder can reload the instrument.
- The payment can’t be passed to someone else.
- The instrument allows its holder to be identified.
The issuer must back this up with a sworn report from an independent expert, filed with ADM through an operator. ADM then sends the report to the Guardia di Finanza and the Bank of Italy. If the requirements aren’t met, ADM suspends the product and applies contractual penalties to the operator.
| How the account is funded | Weekly limit | What applies |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer, direct debit, payment or prepaid card | None | Provider in Italy or the EU |
| Voucher or PIN product | None | Six requirements and a sworn report |
| Cash, scratch cards, other untraced methods | €100 | Top-up shops |
What It Means for Players
Players who fund an account by card or bank transfer face no top-up limit under these rules, other than any they set themselves. Those paying cash at a top-up shop stay under the overall €100 weekly limit, which ADM’s guidance also applies to scratch cards. Shops can top up an account only at the holder’s request and after identifying the holder.
Withdrawals are tighter. A player must name a payment account or instrument in their own name, and the operator must check that it is before paying. If it isn’t, the operator won’t pay and will ask for a suitable one. Operators can’t pay withdrawals at top-up shops or other gaming outlets, even outlets linked to the same operator.
Products already in use that meet the voucher requirements remain valid until March 31, 2027, the deadline for operators to file the sworn report. New products can still be added after that date.
What the Court Decided
The Council of State’s rulings concern ADM’s earlier, 2024 determination on the top-up shop register, not the new payment rules. According to Agimeg, an Italian trade outlet, the court upheld both the €100 weekly limit and the ban on withdrawals at shops.
The court also ruled that the register’s new regime couldn’t apply immediately to operators on technical extensions of their concessions, or to their linked shops, before the tender for new concessions concluded, Agimeg reported. On November 6, it reported the same outcome in a case brought by Microgame, Playmatika and Vittoria Bet 2009. Separately, the court annulled ADM’s blanket ban on devices that give access to online gaming at top-up shops, Agimeg said.
What Happens Next
Operators have until March 31, 2027, to file reports for the voucher products they already use. ADM will also check their use of these products through on-site controls.
The trade federation Fipe welcomed clear criteria but warned that more payment options shouldn’t shift responsibility onto shops, according to Agimeg.
