Italian lawmakers have a pretty liberal attitude towards online gambling affairs. Consequently, the online gambling industry is thriving and various reports suggest that the country is reaping tremendous financial benefits.
Italian Gambling Legislation Overview
Italy has come a long way from the total ban of gambling activities to their legalisation. It all started in 2006 when amidst the online gambling crackdown in many EU countries, Italy took the opposite approach and allowed online sports betting.
A few years later, Italian lawmakers gave the nod to the casino and poker games. The casino games were divided into two large categories – games of chance and games of skill, respectively.
Operators willing to provide their services on the territory of Italy were obliged to acquire a domestic license issued by the Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies. The latter is the regulatory authority for all regions of the country.
Operators are no longer required to be based in Italy, but the companies based in the European Economic Area are given an edge when it comes to license issuing. The servers can be located in any country that has an agreement with the Italian Gaming Authority.
Italian players can freely place wagers on casino, poker, sports betting, bingo, fixed odds, and horse pools events online, claim bonuses, make deposits and withdrawals via credit/ debit cards, e-wallets, PostePay, etc. The AASM oversees all kinds of gambling activities, monitors if licensees are compliant with the legislative framework, and imposes tough penalties to violators.
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