Forms of gambling in Italy have existed for centuries and it dates back to the period of the Roman Empire, when the forerunner of modern backgammon games, and Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum, became popular among La legions. Code.
Each year, the Italian economy earns nearly 80 billion euros thanks to the gambling entertainment industry. Betting services were legalized in the 1900s, but over the years, the rules remained. So Italy is the country with the most modern and competitive gambling laws in the European Union.
Gambling Laws in Italy
Under criminal law, public or private gambling organizations are illegal in Italy. At the same time, games of chance and games whose outcome depends on skills are judged to be different. Sports betting, lottery, etc., fall under the types of gambling activities regulated by the law.
In Italy, only the State has the authority to license gambling services. Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS) has the authority to license and regulate other gambling matters. For offending organizations, the penalty will range from fines to imprisonment.
Italy has come a long way before it legalizes gambling activities, including certain conditions. The reason the country's government imposes strict regulations is its desire to avoid possible negative effects in the iGaming industry.
In 2006, revised regulations were introduced and changed the betting industry in Italy, including:
- Legalization of real money skill games and betting exchanges;
- Open Italian gambling market to operators from EU and EFTA countries;
- Open a new license bid to rearrange the network of offline betting facilities and help online game operators provide services on a legal basis.
The Finance Act of 2007 is another major milestone as it has legalized skill card games, stipulating that these games should be played as a tournament, with stakes equal to the tournament participation fee.
The Ordinance "Comunitaria" in February 2011 was a major breakthrough for the gambling industry in Italy. The ordinance made the rules for cash poker and casino games legalized, and introduced the changes that were applied in the previous version of the decree.
In addition, the new decree requires carriers to return at least 90% of the staked amount in the form of winnings. The maximum purchase amount for a poker tournament is set at 250 € and the maximum initial stake per gaming session cannot exceed 1,000 €.
The last Italian gambling law revision was introduced in late 2012, giving slot machine operators the right to open their businesses in Italy.
Italy Gambling Events
The freedom of Italy's online gambling market gradually began in 2006, after receiving a complaint in 2003, the European Commission investigated the case and initiated infringement proceedings against Italy.
As of November 2006, the Italian blacklist of illegal websites included 621 websites (including websites operated by licensed operators in other EU countries). Since the Italian authorities did not inform the EC of this list, the country was in violation of EU Directive 98/34 / EC.
In addition, when banning the activities of any foreign operators, the Italian authorities invoked criminal law. After the EC introduced infringement proceedings against Italy, in 2009, Italian authorities notified the Commission of modifications made to the gambling laws.
In March 2010, when the new law came into effect, foreign gambling services were able to launch real money online games. Before providing services to Italian citizens, an Italian permit is required.
In 2018, one of the Italian casinos, Casinò di Campione, was declared bankrupt and closed in early 2019.
Since the summer of 2019, the Italian government has enacted a ban on advertising, and any sponsorship or marketing by gambling companies is illegal.
In addition, the Italian government also plans to require all slot machines to be linked to the monitoring system, and managed by the gambling regulator remotely. However, due to the effects of the 19 Covid pandemic, these plans will be delayed at least until 2021, or longer.
Payment Methods
Withdrawals and deposits at Italian casinos are the areas of most concern for bettors. Casinos in Italy offer a wide variety of payment options, and players should still be careful in choosing reliable and secure payment methods.
Some of the popular forms of payment on casinos in Italy include:
- Credit or Debit card;
- E-wallets such as Skrill, Moneybookers, Neteller, Click2Pay;
- Online bank transfer via PayPal, Instadebit, UKash, PaySafeCard, or Neosurf.
