Strategic Infotainment Partnership in Italian Football
Online betting operator bet365 has expanded its brand presence in Italy by securing a partnership with Serie A powerhouse Juventus FC. Because direct agreements between gambling companies and football clubs are banned in Italy under the 2018 Dignity Decree, brands utilize “infotainment” deals signed between an operator’s media platform and a club.
Through this workaround, Juventus has named bet365 Scores, the firm’s media and livescore platform, its official “sport infotainment partner”. This follows a similar agreement bet365 Scores established with SSC Napoli last summer. According to a Juventus statement, the collaboration aims to provide fans with digital content, real-time information, and customizable tools to track the team and access live data wherever they are.
Italy’s Betting Conundrum and Regulatory Landscape
Italy represents one of Europe’s largest betting markets by Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR), ranking as the third largest in Europe after the UK and Russia with a Competitive Earnings Baseline of US$6.4bn across 185 brands, according to the Blask index. The country is currently over halfway through its first full year under a new regulated market framework established in November 2025, which has received positive reception for its favorable tax structure compared to jurisdictions like the UK, Netherlands, and Germany.
The market’s strength is further evidenced by Italian government tax returns, which declared roughly €6.66bn in non-lottery gambling tax and duties in 2025.
Despite the thriving market, the absence of direct football sponsorships remains a persistent sticking point. Discussions regarding a potential reversal of the Dignity Decree have intensified following the Italian national football team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time, an event dubbed an “apocalypse” by local media.
While betting sponsorships featured heavily during the recent election for the President of the Italian Football Federation (IFF), candidate Giancarlo Abete, who favored reversing the decree, was unsuccessful in his bid.
