Italy Blocks 61 Gambling Websites in October 2026: How ADM Identifies Illegal Operators

Italy’s latest action against unauthorised online gambling took effect in October 2026, when internet providers were required to block 61 additional websites. The order came from the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM), Italy’s gambling regulator. Issued on 23 September with an implementation deadline of 9 October, it brought the published list of blocked gambling domains to 12,699. The case raises important questions: how does ADM identify websites operating without approval, what does a block achieve, and how can players check whether a gambling website is legal?

What the October 2026 Blocking Order Actually Changed

ADM order No. 00631294, dated 23 September 2026, added 61 websites to the restriction list last updated on 5 August. Italian gambling publications reported the decision on 24 September, while ADM stated that its revised list would take effect on 9 October. The dates are significant: the authority did not announce a separate 61-site operation on 9 October. That was the final day for internet providers to implement the September instruction.

The update brought the cumulative list to 12,699 domains. This is a count of internet addresses, not 12,699 distinct gambling companies. One operator might use several addresses, and an address resembling a known casino brand could belong to somebody else. Equally, blocking 61 new domains does not mean 61 businesses have been shut down. The measure restricts access from Italy. It does not establish the owner of every listed website, remove its content worldwide or prove that its operator has stopped trading in other countries.

The legal basis is Article 102 of Decree-Law 104 of 14 August 2020, converted into Law 126 on 13 October 2020. It allows action against websites offering or advertising gambling in ways that breach Italian requirements. ADM publishes its orders and the list of affected addresses for internet access providers to follow. The regulator maintains official records of restricted gambling websites, including administrative orders and downloadable documents detailing the affected domains.

From the September Decision to the October Deadline

The sequence is straightforward. An earlier list was dated 5 August 2026; ADM issued its next order on 23 September; the decision was reported on 24 September; and the 61 additions had to be blocked by 9 October. As at 13 October 2026, the implementation deadline has passed. The list also reflects successive administrative decisions over time, rather than a live count of every illegal website operating at a particular moment.

ADM changed how blocked gambling websites are redirected in April 2026. Under the newer arrangement, visitors are directed to a dedicated ADM warning page rather than the fixed numerical internet address previously used. The authority also reported transition problems and temporarily maintained both methods. For an ordinary visitor, the outcome is more important than the technical change: instead of reaching the casino or bookmaker, they may see an ADM warning explaining that the address lacks the authorisation required to accept gambling activity in Italy.

The ADM website supplies the full blocked-address list as a PDF and a plain-text file, alongside a checksum used to check the integrity of downloaded material. Players need not deal with the technical file to investigate a website: they can consult the latest publication and search for the exact address. However, an address missing from the blocked list is not automatically legal. That document records websites against which restrictions have been ordered. Whether a business may lawfully offer gambling in Italy must be checked against ADM’s separate register of approved operators.

How ADM Identifies Gambling Websites Operating Without Approval

The decisive issue is permission to serve the Italian market. Italy requires an ADM concession for regulated online gambling activities, including sports betting, casino games and poker. Legislative Decree 41 of 25 March 2024 sets out the current remote-gambling concession framework. A licence granted by another country does not automatically authorise an operator to accept Italian customers. Nor can visitors rely on an Italian-language website, a company address or a licence number displayed in small print. The relevant operator and website must match the authorisations recognised by ADM.

ADM has described its wider approach to illegal gambling, although it has not disclosed how each of these 61 domains was originally identified. In its May 2026 policy discussions, the authority referred to periodic checks of gambling services, cooperation with police forces and local offices, technological monitoring and analysis of gambling activity to guide inspections towards higher-risk areas. There is no public evidence that any particular automated tool, complaint or police investigation directly produced the September list, so attributing individual discoveries to one method would be speculation.

When examining a website, the nature of its offer matters. Relevant signs include real-money gambling accounts, deposits, betting facilities and promotions directed at potential customers in Italy. Italian text, euro-denominated amounts or local advertising may help show whom a website is targeting, but no single feature is enough to prove a legal breach. The essential check is whether the gambling offered corresponds to an Italian concession and its approved website.

How Licensing Checks Expose Unauthorised and Imitation Sites

ADM’s register of authorised remote gambling operators lists the concession holder, concession number and approved website. For example, its October 2026 entries show Hillside (New Media Malta) Plc, concession 16030, associated with Bet365, and Azzurri Limited, concession 16026, associated with StarCasinò. The examples illustrate an important point: permission applies to identifiable businesses and websites, not to any domain using similar branding. A familiar logo or casino name cannot establish that a different address is authorised.

Lookalike domains make verification especially important. A slightly altered spelling, unexpected domain ending or address circulated through a private message can lead away from the approved website. An imitation might even copy a real concession number from a legitimate company. Visitors should compare the complete address with the one shown in ADM’s register, rather than trusting a footer, a search advertisement or a reassuring message. Consulting the regulator’s official records independently is safer than relying on licensing information supplied by the gambling site under examination.

After checking the licence, players should also consider account-verification rules, clear gambling terms and access to responsible-gambling controls. Italy’s authorised system includes safeguards concerning minors and ways to limit participation. Missing or inconsistent details are nevertheless reasons for caution. If the name receiving a payment, the website address or the claimed concession cannot be reconciled with official records, it is sensible to avoid depositing until the discrepancy has been resolved.

What the 61 Blocks Mean for Players and the Italian Market

The immediate consequence was an obligation on Italian internet access providers to restrict the newly listed websites by 9 October. An ADM notice may appear when somebody attempts to visit one of those addresses. Such a block does not erase the website from the internet, identify everyone responsible for it or automatically return customer balances. It shows an enforceable restriction on access to offers ADM considers unauthorised, not the full financial impact of illegal gambling.

For customers, authorisation matters because it places gambling within Italy’s regulated system. Licensed operators must follow requirements covering player accounts, identity checks and measures intended to reduce gambling harm. ADM also provides remote-gambling self-exclusion, enabling players to limit access across approved operators, with options involving individual operators or game categories. Customers using an unlicensed website cannot assume equivalent protection or an effective Italian complaints process.

Domain blocking is an ongoing task because addresses and marketing methods can change. People may encounter copies presenting themselves as the replacement for a restricted casino, while newly detected websites can require later additions to ADM’s list. For a player, the more useful question is narrower: does the exact website appear in the authorised register, and has ADM published a restriction concerning it?

How to Check a Casino or Respond to an ADM Warning

Before registering, identify the operator’s legal name, claimed concession number and full website address. Compare all three with ADM’s current register of authorised remote gambling operators, then consult the separate list of blocked websites. Pay attention to publication dates and small differences in spelling. If the official register does not confirm an address, its absence from the blocked list is not proof of legality.

If a website starts showing an ADM block notice, do not follow messages offering a new address or asking for another deposit to release winnings. Keep transaction records, relevant correspondence and screenshots of any disputed balance where they can be obtained safely. If fraud is suspected, contact the payment provider promptly and consider reporting the matter to the Italian authorities. For disputes involving an authorised operator, ADM has a formal complaints service for gambling account holders, accessed through SPID or CIE. It is not a guaranteed recovery process for payments made to unlicensed websites.

The October 2026 action has four verifiable facts at its centre: ADM’s order of 23 September, 61 additional gambling domains, an implementation deadline of 9 October and a cumulative restriction list of 12,699 addresses. The authority describes licensing checks, monitoring and enforcement cooperation as parts of its wider work, but has not publicly traced the identification of each newly restricted domain. The practical response is therefore straightforward: verify the complete website address and its operator through ADM’s own records, and treat unsupported claims of Italian authorisation with caution before sharing personal details or money.