Online casinos in Italy

Italy is one of the first countries in Europe to legalize gambling and bring it under strict state control. Combining centuries-old casino traditions and modern technology, Italy today occupies a leading place in the European online gambling industry, second only to the UK and Spain.

History and legislation

Gambling in Italy has deep historical roots: the first gambling houses appeared here in the 17th century, and the Venetian casino Ridotto, founded in 1638, is considered the first official casino in the world.

The modern gambling regulatory system began to take shape at the end of the 20th century and finally took hold in 2011 with the adoption of Legislative Decree No. 98/2011, which allowed online gambling under state control.

Today, regulation is carried out by:

Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM) —
Customs and Monopolies Agency, formerly known as AAMS (Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato).

ADM is responsible for:

issuing licenses for operators;
control over payments and certification of games;
protecting players and preventing addiction;
RNG software audit
blocking unlicensed sites.

Thus, gambling in Italy is a completely legalized, but strictly controlled sector.

Licensing and taxation

The Italian ADM licence is one of the most respected in Europe.

An operator wishing to work in the Italian market must:

have a legal entity in the EU;
provide an authorized capital of at least €1.5 million;
confirm technical and financial reliability;
Connect to the Italian ADM monitoring server
Protect data and play responsibly.

The license term is 9 years, which makes the market stable for investors.

Taxes:

20% of gross revenue (GGR) for online casinos and poker;
22% for sports betting;
8% for lotteries and bingo;
additional contributions to social programs and sports.

The ADM license is required even for foreign brands, and without it the operator cannot legally accept Italian players.

Online gambling in Italy

Italy was one of the first countries in Europe to legalize online casinos.

The first licenses were issued in 2011, and since then the market has shown steady growth - about €2 billion in annual turnover.

Popular licensed operators:

Sisal. it, Snai. it, Eurobet. it, Lottomatica. it, Betflag. it, Planetwin365. it, StarCasinò. it, Betway. it, LeoVegas. it, PokerStars. it, 888casino. it, GoldBet. it, WilliamHill. it.

All these platforms operate under the Italian ADM license and are required to display the license number on the main page of the site.

Land-based casinos

There are only four official casinos in Italy, each with a rich history and unique atmosphere:

Casino di Venezia is the oldest casino in the world, opened in 1638;
Casino de Sanremo is the legendary casino of Liguria, where the famous Sanremo music festival takes place;
Casino di Campione d'Italia - once the largest casino in Europe, located on the shores of Lake Lugano;
Casino de la Vallée (Saint-Vincent) is a famous mountain complex in the Alps, combining tourism and gambling.

In addition, lotteries, bingo, video slots and betting are allowed throughout the country, making gambling part of Italy's cultural and economic life.

Popular games and player preferences

Italians are some of Europe's most gambling, but prefer responsible and controlled gambling.

Payment methods

The base currency is Euro (EUR).

Portuguese online casinos support a wide range of payment solutions:

Visa, MasterCard, Maestro;
PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, MuchBetter;
Paysafecard и Apple Pay;
bank transfers (SEPA);
Postepay is a popular Italian prepaid card;
Satispay is a local mobile application for instant payments.

Cryptocurrencies are not used under Italian law, but can be applied on offshore sites (which is considered a violation).

Economic importance

Gambling is one of the largest sectors of the Italian economy.

According to ADM, the total gambling market in 2023 exceeded €20 billion, of which:

55% are online gambling,
25% - for lotteries,
20% - on bets and offline casinos.

The industry provides over 100,000 jobs and brings in more than €3 billion in taxes per year.

Part of these funds goes to finance sports, culture and health care.

Responsible play

ADM emphasizes user protection and the fight against gaming addiction.

Implemented measures:

minimum age - 18 years;
self-exclusion system (Gioco Responsabile);
deposit and loss limits;
Session time monitoring
partnership with Gioca Responsabile, S.I.I.P.A.C., Telefono Verde Nazionale.

Each licensed site is required to have a "Gioco Responsabile" section with recommendations and support hotlines.

Challenges and challenges

Despite stability, the industry faces a number of difficulties:

strict advertising restrictions (since 2019, Decreto Dignità has been in effect, prohibiting gambling advertising);
high taxes on operators, reducing marginality;
competition with unlicensed offshore sites;
the issue of regulating cryptogembling and NFT games.

Nevertheless, a strict licensing system retains the confidence of players and investors.

Development prospects

Italy continues to develop its iGaming sector based on three key principles: security, responsibility and innovation.

Expected:

License Upgrade and Transition to Digital ADM 2 0;
integrating artificial intelligence technologies to monitor player behavior;
possible partial liberalization of advertising;
support for eSports betting and mobile applications;
promotion of export projects of Italian operators to Latin America.

Thanks to balanced regulation, historical experience and technological progress, Italy remains one of the standards of the legal and civilized gambling market in Europe, where gambling is perceived not as a risk, but as a cultural and economic phenomenon.