Italy has put Polymarket on the Customs and Monopolies Agency’s (ADM) blacklist for the second time, arguing that the platform is classified as an offshore betting company...
The Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) and the Guardia di Finanza (GdF) announced that 2 illegal betting centers have been shut down and ordered to pay fines of up to $22,000.
Announced on July 24, 2026, inspectors identified two betting centers located in Sicily after visiting 14 betting shops and gambling venues in the Agrigento province. One of the unregulated venues was uncovered in Porto Empedocle, where computers without official identification codes were found, and the terminals weren’t connected to the national gaming collection network.
According to the authorities, the unlicensed terminals allowed players to place bets without the transactions being recorded, which allowed the business to bypass the single national gaming levy (PREU). Additionally, the owner of the betting business was also reported to the public prosecutor under suspicion of running illegal betting operations.
The investigation into illegal betting centers comes at a time when Italy continues to introduce stricter gambling reforms, with authorities proposing a 2% tax on all domestic football bets, both for online and land-based operations.
The ADM and the Guardia di Finanza further stressed that the broader crackdown on similar operations is still in process and that enforcement action against illegal operators would continue in an effort to protect minors and vulnerable groups from gambling harm and reduce criminal activities in the gambling industry.
