Politics · Italy · 8 hrs ago
Meloni government expands lottery and slot machine gambling measures
Italy’s government has launched three new holiday scratch tickets, priced at €5, €10 and €20, with top prizes of up to €5 million.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni once warned that gambling revenue brings high social costs, speaking in parliament in 2015 before she became prime minister.
Since taking office in 2022, her government has increased Lotto draws from three to five a week and reduced dedicated funding for gambling addiction from €50 million a year to about €32.2 million.
The changes come as gambling stakes reached €165.3 billion in 2025, up 5% from 2024 and 21% from 2022.
The government’s proposed 2027 budget would allow higher maximum bets and prizes on updated slot machines, and extend instant-lottery concessions without a new tender.
It would also let slot-machine concessionaires settle old debts to the state under a reduced-payment scheme, while the lottery concessionaire would pay €188 million for the extension.
Italy’s Meloni government is proposing changes that would increase maximum stakes and winnings on some slot machines and extend instant-lottery concessions.
The 2027 budget bill also proposes a fifth weekly Lotto and SuperEnalotto draw and a settlement scheme for old debts owed by slot-machine concessionaires.
Separately, the customs and monopolies agency has introduced three new holiday scratch cards costing €5, €10 and €20, with top prizes of up to €5 million.
Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that funding specifically for gambling-addiction measures fell from €50 million a year to about €32.2 million under a new fund introduced in the 2025 budget.
The article contrasts the measures with Giorgia Meloni’s 2015 criticism of the state raising money through gambling.
- Who
- The Meloni government and Italy’s customs and monopolies agency. The proposed measures concern lottery operators and slot-machine concessionaires.
- What
- The government is expanding or changing several lottery and slot-machine measures, while the agency has introduced three new scratch cards.
- When
- The article was published on 3 November 2026. The budget measures are proposed for 2027.
- Where
- Italy.
- Why
- The budget measures include raising state revenue from gambling-related concessions. The government’s stated reasons are Not stated.
Italian government
Stefano Vaccari and gambling-harm critics
Gambling measures
Italian government
The government’s 2027 budget bill proposes lottery and slot-machine changes, including higher maximum stakes and winnings on some machines.
Stefano Vaccari and gambling-harm critics
Vaccari says the state should not rely increasingly on gambling revenue while claiming to address gambling harm.
New scratch cards
Italian government
The customs and monopolies agency has introduced three holiday scratch cards with top prizes of up to €5 million.
Stefano Vaccari and gambling-harm critics
Vaccari describes them as an illusion that could feed addiction and worsen financial hardship for people and families.
Giorgia Meloni criticised the state for raising money through gambling, according to the article.
Meloni’s centre-right government took office.
A new fund for pathological dependencies was introduced, allocating about €32.2 million to pathological gambling, compared with €50 million a year in the previous dedicated fund.
Total gambling turnover reached €165.3 billion, according to the first report on the public gaming sector.
Il Fatto Quotidiano reported on the proposed budget measures and the new holiday scratch cards.
The budget bill proposes changes to slot machines and a lottery-concession extension, with two €94 million payments to the state during the year.
- New scratch cards
- Three, priced at €5, €10 and €20
- Top scratch-card prize
- Up to €5 million
- Lottery-concession extension
- Until 31 December 2029
- Concessionaire payments
- €188 million in two €94 million instalments during 2027
- Proposed slot-machine maximum stake
- Increased from €1 to €2 per play
- Gambling-addiction funding
- About €32.2 million, down from €50 million a year
What people are saying
The Italian state must be made to understand that continuing to raise money through gambling means earning easy money today, but paying very high social costs tomorrow.
An illusion packaged for the holidays, which risks feeding addictions and worsening the economic fragility of many people and families.
The state cannot say it wants to combat the harms of gambling and, at the same time, rely ever more on that revenue to finance public spending. Prevention, treatment and policies that reduce risks are needed. Not new opportunities to bet.