SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Facebook has become the latest US tech giant to confirm that it will comply with the approved mandate of the new Italian coalition government’s ‘Dignity Decree’.
Updating its Italian advertising terms and conditions, Facebook states that it will no longer accept adverts, promotions, pages, Instagram accounts and apps that promote or facilitate online gambling.
“Pursuant to recent legislative developments, our company is now revoking that approval in respect of the Italian market and will only allow national deferred prize-drawing lotteries to run gambling advertising in Italy”, details Facebook in its advertising update.
The stark reality of governance by the populist Lega-5Star coalition is dawning on Italian betting incumbents, as last week Google announced that it would conform to the government’s blanket ban on gambling advertising, removing all Italian betting content from its search listings.
Italian MPs continue to debate the policy framework of the Dignity Decree, which is likely to gain parliamentary approval on 10 August.
Yesterday, European industry trade body the EGBA, stated that it supported Italian betting stakeholders and online gambling association LOGiCO challenge of the advertising and sponsorship ban.
The EGBA and LOGiCO issued a joint-letter to Italian Parliament stating that the directive would be counterproductive in its objectives to minimise gambling-related harms, putting Italian consumers at risk and growing the nation’s black market for betting services.
