Crypto Casino
Torrent Gear
Online gambling: licensed by ADM
Italy is one of the most structured online gambling markets in Europe. The central role is played by ADM (Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli) - a state body that issues licenses (concessions), sets technical standards, monitors the responsibility of operators and the transparency of financial flows. Below is how it works in practice.
1) ADM Mandate: What exactly is controlled
Licensing/concessions. ADM conducts competitions, determines the requirements for applicants (capital, origin of funds, corporate structure, competencies), the procedure for granting access and the conditions for extension/suspension.
Technical regulation. Encryption standards, hosting within the EU/EEA, logging and storage requirements, fault tolerance, DR/BCP plans, incident monitoring.
Content certification. Each game (core/client) is audited by accredited laboratories: RNG, declared RTP, correctness of rules, display of chances and restrictions.
Financial transparency. Mandatory reporting on GGR/turnover, reconciliation with payment gateways, uploading telemetry to controlled interfaces.
Responsible play and consumer protection. Unified register of self-exclusion, control of age barriers (18 +), availability of game history, timeouts, limits.
Enforcement. Checks, sanctions, blocking of unlicensed domains, instructions to sites and payment providers.
2) What is allowed online with an ADM license
Casino games: slots, roulette, blackjack, baccarat/punto banco, etc.
Poker: tournaments and cash tables.
Bets: on sports and other events in acceptable formats.
Bingo and lottery products: according to the approved rules.
Live formats: when meeting studio, streaming and record storage requirements.
3) Concession vs operational reality
Term and cost. Multi-year concessions, with a one-time fixed contribution and annual fee; parameters are defined in the conditions of a specific tender.
Personal/brand frameworks. The concession is issued to a legal entity with disclosed property; transfers/rebrands are agreed with ADM.
Control is constant. Licensing is not "once and for all": telemetry, audits, post-market surveillance and regular inspections are part of the operator's day-to-day work.
4) Technical standards: "compliance-by-design"
Infrastructure. Data centers in the EU/EEA, encryption of channels and data "at rest," segmentation of contours (prod/stage/day), key management.
Observability and logs. Centralized logs for sessions, transactions, incidents; retention logs; access for regulatory monitoring.
Accessibility and sustainability. Uptime SLAs, critical component redundancy, disaster recovery plans (RPO/RTO), DR drills.
Integrations. Documented APIs for payment providers, KYC/AML services, game aggregators; version control and release certification.
5) Certification of games and providers
RNG/RTP. Randomness algorithms and claimed RTP are validated by laboratories; Version changes require re-qualification.
UX/informing. In the interface it is mandatory: rules, odds, limits, RG messages, understandable bonus conditions.
Aggregators. Delivery of content through certified intermediaries is allowed subject to the chain of responsibility: who is responsible for what and who keeps the logs.
6) Responsible play (RG) and data protection
Self-exclusion. A centralized registry that applies to all licensed sites; the term is chosen by the player.
Limits and controls. Deposits/time/sessions, pop-up reminders, access to transaction history.
KYC/AML. Threshold procedures from "simplified access" to full KYC; transaction monitoring, suspicious transaction reports, monitoring of funds sources.
Privacy. Compliance with the European data protection regime; storage regulations, minimizing access, recording administrator actions.
7) Taxes and money (in general terms)
Base - GGR. The Italian model comes from the taxation of gross gaming income with vertical differentiation.
Annual fees. On top of the tax - administrative/concession payments that need to be included in P & L.
Players. In most online verticals, the tax burden falls on the operator via GGR; individual products have their own modes.
8) Advertising and Communications
Severe restrictions. After the regulatory changes of the late 2010s, advertising and sponsorship in the public field are significantly limited.
What you can. Neutral information messages, RG communications and B2B materials with strict adherence to the wording (without CTA, bonus rhetoric, etc.).
Practice. Marketing is shifting towards CRM, content, UX and responsibility rather than "grassroots" campaigns.
9) Sanctions and enforcement
Penalties and suspensions. For violations of RG/AML, technical requirements, incorrect advertising, delays in payments, etc.
Blockages. Cooperation with hosting/payment/media providers to restrict access to unlicensed sites.
Incident-management. There must be procedures for quick removal of content, notifications, internal investigations and prevention of repetitions.
10) Practical checklist for market entry
To the operator
1. Build a compliance architecture: information security policy, data maps, KMS, DLP, logging, access according to the principle of least privileges.
2. Prepare a financial model: GGR tax by verticals + annual fees, CAPEX/OPEX for certification and telemetry.
3. Establish KYC/AML pipeline: verification providers, risk scoring, reporting, EDD/PEP/SAN procedures.
4. Build a DevOps contour: game version control, secure releases, isolated environments, browser/device test matrix.
5. Design RG features: limits, timeouts, self-exclusion, visible clues and game history.
6. Rebuild the marketing mix: CRM, loyalty, content and UX instead of mass advertising.
Studios and content aggregator
1. Maintain a certification register of versions: kernel, client, mathematical model, RTP passports.
2. Provide telemetry for the operator and ADM: session events, wins/losses, client errors.
3. Prepare localization: language, responsible messages, transparent rules.
To affiliate
1. Observe the advertising framework: without calls and bonus rhetoric, correct warnings, age barriers.
2. Keep traffic transparent: sources, anti-fraud, lack of "dark" redirects.
11) Vector to 2030
Unified digital identification and e-KYC: faster onboarding while maintaining strict age verification.
AI monitoring: behavioral models for early detection of risks and fraud.
Telemetry unification: standardized reporting and log formats for the entire market.
Cyber resilience: increasing requirements for DDoS protection, redundancy and DR plans.
Spot-tuning advertising frames: adjustments around sports and social campaigns are possible with an unchanged focus on RG.
Italy's model is based on a simple principle: full admission - only with full control. ADM makes the market predictable for players and investable for operators, and sets a high bar for technology, RG and financial transparency. For successful work, you need to think compliance-by-design: from architecture and releases to marketing and customer service.