Italy’s virtual betting sector recorded a monthly decline in May 2026, although both turnover and player spending remained above the levels seen a year earlier.
According to the latest figures, total virtual betting stakes placed through retail betting shops and online channels reached €444.29 million during the month. The result represents a 2.86% decrease compared with April 2026, when turnover stood at €457.36 million.
Despite the month-on-month contraction, the market continued to show positive annual growth. Compared with May 2025, turnover increased by 4.96%, confirming the resilience of the virtual betting segment and its ability to attract sustained player interest.
Player spending followed a similar pattern. In May, gross player expenditure amounted to €62.21 million, down 3.34% from €64.37 million recorded in April. However, on a year-on-year basis, spending increased by 1.3%, indicating that the segment continues to generate higher revenues than it did twelve months ago.
The May figures therefore point to a temporary slowdown after stronger activity earlier in the year, while maintaining a positive long-term trajectory.
The performance of virtual betting contrasts with developments in Italy’s fixed-odds betting market. During May 2026, fixed-odds wagers generated total stakes of €1.65 billion, a decline of 6.87% from the €1.78 billion recorded in April. Turnover was also marginally lower than in May 2025, falling by 0.48%.
Player spending in fixed-odds betting moved in the opposite direction. The sector generated €290.8 million in player expenditure during May, representing a sharp increase of 30.3% compared with April and 23.6% higher than the same month last year. The figures highlight a widening gap between betting volumes and operator revenue performance.
Meanwhile, Italy’s horse racing betting segment delivered growth on both key indicators. Stakes on domestic horse racing events reached €5.13 million in May, up 3.59% from April’s €4.95 million. Player spending also increased, rising 8.11% to just over €2 million.
Overall, the May data reveal differing trends across Italy’s betting market. Virtual betting experienced a modest monthly slowdown while maintaining year-on-year growth, fixed-odds betting saw lower turnover but significantly higher player spending, and horse racing betting continued its upward trajectory in both stakes and expenditure.
