A $22 million sponsorship deal between prediction market platform Polymarket and S.S. Lazio has created a paradoxical situation in the Italian gambling landscape: the logo of a company declared illegal by ADM now appears on the shirts of one of Serie A's most followed clubs.
The Polymarket-Lazio Case
Polymarket is an American prediction market platform — a system in which users buy and sell contracts tied to the outcomes of real-world events, from politics to sports. ADM added Polymarket to its blacklist in October 2025, ruling that it constitutes unauthorised gambling.
Despite the block, Polymarket signed a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Lazio, visible at every Serie A match, in European competition and on global television broadcasts. The contract is estimated to be worth $22 million for the season.
The Logic Behind the Sponsorship
For Polymarket, the value of the deal does not lie in converting Italian fans into platform users — that is impossible given the ADM block — but rather in reaching Serie A's global audience. Lazio has an international fanbase and its matches are broadcast in dozens of countries where Polymarket operates freely.
The Debate on Gambling Advertising in Italy
The Polymarket-Lazio case has reignited debate over the effectiveness of the 2018 Decreto Dignità, which bans all direct and indirect gambling advertising, including sports sponsorships. The Italian government is currently evaluating possible amendments to the decree that could, in the future, permit sponsorships by ADM-licensed operators.