Anib and Play Game (bingo technical extension): Allegations, Court Orders and Status

What this case is about

Joined Cases C-728/22 to C-730/22 were decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union (Fifth Chamber) in a reference from Italy's Consiglio di Stato (Section VII).

The plaintiffs are the Associazione Nazionale Italiana Bingo (Anib) and Play Game Srl. The defendants are the Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze and the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM). The topic belongs with Licensing and Administrative Court Cases.

The dispute is about a legislative "technical extension" of expired bingo concessions. Italy extended them against a monthly fee, banned relocating halls, and required concessionaires to accept the extension in order to join the future tender. The claims rest on Directive 2014/23 (articles 5 and 43) and Articles 49 and 56 TFEU.

Who is covered

The ruling affects bingo hall concessionaires in Italy. A parallel appeal was brought by Ascob and about 60 bingo hall concessionaires, and the Consiglio di Stato referred the questions in non-final judgments of 21 November 2022, received by the Court on 24 November 2022.

Players are not parties. The Court's reading of EU concession law matters for any Gambling Lawsuits in European Union involving concession renewals, and the defendant ministry has its own page: Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze.

Is there a payout?

No payout exists in this case. The money at issue is the monthly concession fee that bingo operators pay the State: EUR 2,800, then EUR 5,000, then EUR 7,500 under Law 205/2017, raised to EUR 8,625 in 2022.

The record shows no fund, no settlement and no claim process for players. GamblingLawsuits.org is not a law firm and not a claims administrator.

What the court decided

On 20 March 2025 the Fifth Chamber ruled on the referral. It held that Directive 2014/23 applies to concessions awarded before the directive but extended by later laws.

It held that Article 43 precludes the legislature from unilaterally extending concessions while it raises a flat monthly fee regardless of turnover, keeps a ban on relocating halls and forces concessionaires to accept the extension. It also held that ADM may not be deprived of the power to re-balance a concession after unforeseeable events.

Italian courts then disapplied the extension fees: TAR Lazio in March and April 2026, and the Consiglio di Stato in 2025 and 2026. As of 14 November 2026 the status of the EU case is judgment.

Why it matters

The judgment is a precedent on how far a Member State can change an ongoing gambling concession. Fees, relocation bans and conditions on future tenders must respect the directive's limits on modifying concessions.

It also fed into the national outcomes, where Italian courts disapplied the bingo extension fees in 2025 and 2026.

Questions people ask

What did the EU Court rule on bingo concessions?

On 20 March 2025 the Court held that Italy could not unilaterally extend bingo concessions with a flat monthly fee, a relocation ban and forced acceptance of the extension. Directive 2014/23, Article 43, precludes that combination.

How much was the monthly bingo fee?

EUR 7,500 per concession under Law 205/2017, after earlier steps of EUR 2,800 and EUR 5,000. It was raised to EUR 8,625 in 2022.

Can bingo players claim money?

No. The case concerns concessionaires and the State. The record shows no player fund or claim process.

Related cases

• GL-IT-0015: Ascob, Anib, Play Game Srl and bingo hall concessionaires v the ministry and ADM, the Italian proceeding over the technical extension and monthly fees, status judgment.
• GL-EU-0310: Joined Cases C-721/19 and C-722/19 Sisal, Stanleybet Malta and Magellan Robotech v ADM and the ministry (Gratta e Vinci), status judgment.