Following the entry into force of new regulations limiting the use of cash for gaming account top-ups via PVRs, the regulator is ready to issue a measure to authorize traceable instruments that allow for higher deposits.
Following the entry into force of the new provisions limiting the use of cash for gaming account top-ups through Recharge Points of Sale (or Punti Vendita Ricariche, PVRs) to €100 per week—introduced, as anticipated, starting May 13, 2026—the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) is ready to issue a new ruling aimed at clarifying which electronic payment instruments will be authorized for higher top-up amounts. The purpose of the new provisions, as is well known, is to ensure secure and traceable transactions in all gaming activities, through joint efforts by ADM, the Bank of Italy’s UIF, the Guardia di Finanza, and the Ministry of Economy. For this reason, with the next and imminent ADM determination— currently awaiting the director’s signature after consultation with the other institutional bodies involved—the regulator will essentially define the authorized and authorizable instruments through which it will be possible to perform top-ups exceeding €100, as they are capable of guaranteeing traceability and identification of the account holder.
In particular, according to information obtained by ItalianGamingNews.it, the measure will indicate which payment instruments are authorized by default (including all formally recognized banking and institutional instruments, such as the Bancomat circuit, Postepay, etc.), while also identifying “special” instruments, namely those with limited spendability, and providing details on all other authorizable solutions, specifying their requirements. Consequently, following the publication of this ruling, companies managing instruments and solutions capable of meeting these requirements will be able to apply to the Agency for formal authorization. The basic requirement, as indicated, is to offer a guarantee and certainty not only of transaction traceability but also, and above all, of the correct identification of the account holder.
The PVR phenomenon, as also highlighted during the panel dedicated to Gaming and Payment at the recent IGE in Rome, involves approximately 338 million operations performed in 2025, according to Sogei data, for a total amount of €13.2 billion, with an average top-up of €39. With the new rules in effect since yesterday, May 13, communication between the concessionaire and the PVR regarding top-up messages made in cash or by non-traceable means has become mandatory. To ensure the correct functioning of top-up management systems, the 46 authorized concessionaires must implement suitable tools to monitor the behavior of the PVR network; operations can only be performed as deposits, while withdrawals at the point of sale are not permitted, as prohibited by Legislative Decree No. 41 of 2024 (the so-called Reorganization of Online Gaming). The latter must pass exclusively through channels managed by banks, Poste Italiane, or payment and electronic money institutions, as will be implemented following the ADM ruling.
