Compared to traditional sports, e-sports is a relatively new discipline within sports betting attracting more and more players and raising the interest of an increased number of betting operators.
Today’s introduction by ADM, the Italian gambling regulator, of e-sports betting within the authorized customized betting program of the licensees clearly takes this market opportunity to channel it into legal betting channels and contrast any illegal offer.
The e-sports betting offer is regulated under the customized betting vice directorial decree dated 30 July 2013 on sports and other events as identified by the licensees and verified by the ADM.
In compliance with this decree, there are general limitations concerning the events on which bets may be placed, whereby notably subject matter of the bets within the customized program must not include any sort of violent, indecent or discriminating offer.
Therefore, e-sports instigating violent behaviours and/or any kind of discrimination will not be accepted.
At now, the first sets of approved e-sports are ESPORTS DOTA 2 and ESPORTS LEAGUE OF LEGENDS.
In any case, there is a prior compulsory authorisation by the ADM of the events listed in the customised program. Licensees shall submit a technical report to detail (i) the e-sport event/s, (ii) the bet/s to be included within said customised betting program and (iii) the results certification modalities of the event through two different sources of information as well as (iv) the licensee’s system description for relevant data registration and storage. Once authorised, ADM adds the events in the betting program along with their results, in real-time through the national central system.
Also, licensees are requested to adopt solutions to facilitate ADM accessing any relevant information (especially related to live events) so it can carry out its’ monitoring and inspection activities.
Within the authorisation process, ADM always mantains a high discretionary power also with respect to integrity issues to contrast any possible risk of irregularity within the e-sports bet flows.
