Italy

Online Gamblers in Italy

Located in southern Europe, Italy is home to some of the most traveled cities in the world including Rome, Venice, Naples, Tuscany and Florence. Italy is the long peninsula south of central Europe that's home to more than 60 million people. They are known for their flourishing economy that's one of the top ten in the world and for having a very temperate climate. It covers more than 115,000 square miles.

Gambling in Italy is by no means new dating back to the Roman Empire where the game of Backgammon was born. In the 1500's a game called 'Lo Giuoco del Lotto D'Italia' is where the origins of Bingo as we know it today was first played. The game of Baccarat according to some historians say it was invented by the Italian gambler Felix Falguierein but is open for debate as to the exact origins.

Land based Casinos are dotted throughout Italy with the very first Casino Campione established in 1917 and is still in operation as one of the most affluent Italian Casinos in Italy.

An Overview of Online Gambling in Italy

Italy was a part of a great shift in European countries who moved from outlawing online gambling to completely regulating it inside of the past decade. The Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stado, known as the AAMS for short, handles all of the responsibilities of their online gambling licensing, market management and enforcement, and they largely gained these responsibilities during late 2006 and early 2007 when Italy decided to regulate the industry on a large level.

One of the things that really sets Italy apart is that their rules and penalties for breaking those rules are much more strict and much more severe than what you find almost anywhere else as far as countries go who have regulated the industry. This helps to create a culture of accountability, and it's also gone a long way towards helping to clean up the image of the industry in a short period of time.

Licensing in Italy

The licensing process in Italy is very serious, and there are some major penalties and punishments that can happen for people who break the laws on these processes. Companies who are licensed are expected to follow some very strict requirements in terms of general business practices, how they deal with their accounting and how the games are offered. People who violate these rules can face serious criminal charges and civil penalties which is great for the players since it means that the operators have no room for rogue behavior.

Licenses were originally limited to companies that were physically located in Italy. However, was eventually changed to allow the licensing of any company located in the European Union.

Player Protection for Online Gambling in Italy

Italy's strict rules and serious punishments for breaking those rules have led to some fairly favorable situations for players. In short, any operator who doesn't pay out correctly will quickly be found out and punished in severe ways, so there is really no incentive whatsoever for companies to give players anything less than excellent and fair service. For this reason, the levels of player protection in Italy are extremely high, and they actually have some of the best incentives to keep the players protected that you'll find anywhere in the world.

Popular Choices

Slots are among one of the most popular choices with Vegas-style games delivered by some of leading iGaming software providers in the industry. Microgaming software is fully licensed and regulated by the Italian Gaming Authority, the Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies (AAMS).

Many online Casino operators embrace the Italian gambling community with sites that are specifically targeted to this region. Language and currency preferences allow easy navigation and a user-friendly atmosphere. Banking methods for easy deposits and withdrawals on winnings are available in easy currency conversions.

Popular online Casinos for players residing in Italy include:

• Gaming Club Casino
• River Belle Casino
• Mummys Gold Casino
• Red Flush Casino
• Platinum Play Casino
• Wild Jack Casino

There are plenty of Casinos available to the Italian market as operators strive to reach an international level of players. Check restricted countries before registering an account to assure your region is accepted.

Online Bingo, Poker and Bingo sites are also available and have fast become popular choices.

Further Reading

• Online Gambling Regulations in Italy