TLDR Italy’s 2027 budget bill would put esports LAN gaming halls under gambling regulator ADM. The government projects more than €66 million ($74 million) in taxes and fees. The entire Italian esports sector is worth about €32 million ($35.9 million) in 2026. Industry group IIDEA says Italy has only about 70 LAN centres, not the 200 forecast for 2027. Operators would pay per-device fees, an 8% entertainment tax, and keep user logs for five years.
Italy’s government expects its new rules for esports gaming halls to raise more than €66 million ($74 million). That figure is more than double the €32 million ($35.9 million) the country’s entire esports sector is worth in 2026, according to industry estimates.
The gap is at the center of a dispute over the 2027 budget bill. The bill would place LAN gaming halls under the licensing and tax system run by Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM), Italy’s gambling regulator.
The Italian Interactive Digital Entertainment Association (IIDEA), which represents the video game industry, wants the measure removed. It says the forecasts behind the plan do not match the real size of the market.
How the Government Reached Its Numbers
A technical report attached to the bill projects that Italy will have 200 LAN gaming centres by 2027. It forecasts that number will grow to 2,300 by 2028.
IIDEA says Italy has only about 70 LAN centres today. The group also says many of them do not meet the bill’s minimum requirement of 20 gaming stations per venue.
LAN halls are places where customers pay to use networked gaming equipment. Players can game alone or in groups, and the venues often host local esports tournaments.
Italy’s 2027 budget bill would place LAN gaming halls and esports centers under ADM, the