- Status
- Judgment entered (judgment)
- As of
- 21 Oct 1999 · read from the court record
- Court
- Court of Justice of the European Communities (plenary formation, nine judges) · Court of Justice of the EU
- Docket
- C-67/98
- Judge
- President G.C. Rodríguez Iglesias; Rapporteur J.-P. Puissochet; AG N. Fennelly
- Filed
- 13 Mar 1998
- Type
- Constitutional challenge, licensing and administrative court cases
- Money
- No settlement fund or award on record
- Payout
- No payout exists as of 14 Nov 2026
Status words follow the court record: a complaint states one side's allegations, only the court's orders decide anything. Filing a settlement claim is always free.
What this case is about
First Italian gambling referral to Luxembourg, sent by the Consiglio di Stato by order of 20 January 1998. The Court held that the Treaty rules on services do not preclude Italian legislation reserving sports betting to certain bodies if it is justified by social-policy objectives limiting the harmful effects of betting and the restrictions are proportionate. Every later Italian case (Gambelli, Placanica, Costa and Cifone) starts from this test.
What this case is about
C-67/98 Questore di Verona v Diego Zenatti is a preliminary ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Communities, sitting in plenary formation with nine judges. It is one of the licensing and administrative court cases on this site, and it was the first Italian gambling referral to Luxembourg.
Diego Zenatti collected bets for the UK bookmaker SSP Overseas Betting Ltd. He relied on the freedom to provide services (then Article 59 of the EC Treaty) against the Italian reservation of sports betting to CONI and UNIRE.
The Consiglio di Stato sent the question by order of 20 January 1998, and the reference reached the Court on 13 March 1998.
Who is covered
The ruling affects Italian betting intermediaries and foreign bookmakers who serve Italian customers, and any EU state that reserves betting to chosen bodies. It is not a class case.
The Court sat under President G.C. Rodríguez Iglesias, with J.-P. Puissochet as rapporteur and N. Fennelly as Advocate General. For other EU rulings, see gambling lawsuits in the European Union.
Is there a payout?
No payout exists in this case. It is a referral on whether a state monopoly fits EU law, and the record shows no fund, no damages and no consumer claim process.
What the court decided
On 21 October 1999 the Court gave its judgment. It held that the Treaty rules on services do not preclude Italian legislation reserving sports betting to certain bodies. That holds if the legislation is justified by social-policy objectives that limit the harmful effects of betting and the restrictions are proportionate.
As of 14 November 2026 the record shows the reference as decided and shows no later step. Whether the national court found the Italian rules proportionate is not in the record.
Why it matters
The judgment is a precedent. Every later Italian case, including Gambelli, Placanica, Costa and Cifone, starts from its test.
The test asks whether a gambling restriction pursues social-policy aims and stays proportionate. The wider set of disputes between operators and public bodies is gathered under licensing and administrative court cases.
Questions people ask
Can a state reserve sports betting to certain bodies under EU law?
Yes, within limits. In Zenatti the Court held on 21 October 1999 that the Treaty rules on services do not preclude it, if the aim is social policy limiting the harms of betting and the restriction is proportionate.
Who was Diego Zenatti?
He was an intermediary who collected bets for the UK bookmaker SSP Overseas Betting Ltd. The case is named Questore di Verona v Diego Zenatti.
Which court referred the question?
The Italian Consiglio di Stato referred it by order of 20 January 1998. The reference reached the Court on 13 March 1998.
Related cases
- C-243/01 Gambelli: a later Italian betting reference that builds on this test.
- C-338/04, C-359/04, C-360/04 Placanica: a later Italian betting reference on licensing.
- Joined Cases C-72/10 and C-77/10 Criminal proceedings against Marcello Costa and Ugo Cifone: a later criminal reference from Italy.
Who is involved
Plaintiffs: Diego Zenatti (intermediary collecting bets for the UK bookmaker SSP Overseas Betting Ltd)
| Defendants | Questore di Verona |
|---|---|
| Judge | President G.C. Rodríguez Iglesias; Rapporteur J.-P. Puissochet; AG N. Fennelly |
| Claims |
|
Is there a payout?
No payout exists in this case as of 14 Nov 2026.
What happens next
No future date is on the record we hold. The case is closed on the record we hold; later appeals or enforcement steps would be added here.
Timeline
2 dated steps on record, oldest first. Future dates come from court notices and can move.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 13 Mar 1998 | Filed |
| 21 Oct 1999 | Judgment entered |
Documents and sources
1 primary source (court file, administrator notice, regulator) and 0 secondary. Press is supporting evidence only.
- Docket: curia.europa.eu
- Court document: publications.europa.eu
| What it supports | Source | Type | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| judgment of 21 October 1999, referring court Consiglio di Stato order 20 January 1998, operative part; judgment of 21 October 1999; reference received at the Court on 13 March 1998; composition; AG Fennelly | publications.europa.eu | primary | 14 Nov 2026 |
Related cases
3 cases in the record share parties, claims or a settlement with this one.
| Case | Court | Status |
|---|---|---|
| EuGH Gambelli | Court of Justice of the European Union | Judgment entered |
| EuGH Placanica | Court of Justice of the European Union | Judgment entered |
| Costa and Cifone (Stanley CTDs, Bersani tender) | Court of Justice of the European Union (Fourth Chamber) | Judgment entered |
Last checked against the sources on 14 Nov 2026. Found an error? Tell us and we correct the record with a dated note.