Italy is among the most prominent countries when it comes to gambling – both traditional gambling and online casinos. Also, the fact that it is home to Serie A, one of the best soccer leagues in the world, makes it a sports betting hub.
While it has a rich history in traditional gambling that can be traced back to the Roman Empire, online gambling is now dominant. From the latest data, the Italian gambling industry was worth €19 billion in 2017. Two years later, the figure could be at around €25 billion or even higher.
While several European countries are strict when it comes to gambling, Italy is quite a liberal country. Gambling is allowed, and has been part of the Italian culture since the times of the Roman empire. There are land casinos as well as online casino operators.
Both local and international operators are allowed to set up shop in Italy. All gambling licensing, regulation, and law enforcement is under the national government through Agenzia Delle Dogane e Dei Monopoli, abbreviated as AAMS. The licenses are based on the products offered, and infringement of the laws attract criminal trial, fines, and even imprisonment.
While Italian gamers can play on both the locally operated online casinos, as well as their offshore counterparts freely, licensing should be a concern to players. Every day, we hear of gambling busts around Italy, meaning it is a hotbed for illegal gambling. It's up to players to ensure they join licensed casinos.
Most of the illegal online casinos don't want to get licensing in order to avoid taxes, while others are up to no good. Some turn out to be dodgy when it comes to paying high winnings like jackpots, and others are just after stealing customers' data. The worst thing is that there's nowhere to report such cases.
One advantage of online casinos in Italy is that they offer both free money play as well as real money gambling. The former is ideal for the newbies who aren't so sure what's supposed to be done at the casino. Players can also choose to play with real money.
When playing with real money, it is important to play responsibly as gambling can drain players' bank accounts. The first rule gamblers need to abide by, is not staking what they can't afford to lose. Also, avoid gambling when drunk and, most importantly, know when it's time to walk away – it's the house that always wins.
While Italy, as a gambling jurisdiction, has been on the receiving end of several illegal gambling accusations, the government is so adamant about limiting the expansion of it's gambling industry. Statistics from a Eurispes report show that over the last decade, the Italian gambling turnover doubled.
As the Italian gambling industry continues to expand, it's online casinos and live casinos continue to thrive. Many Italians prefer online gambling because of the convenience of remote play and fast payment methods. Also, mobile gaming and technologies like HTML5 mean that casino games are easily accessible even while on the go.
Rank | Casino | Bonus | Rating |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 888 Casino | $1500 | 9 |
2 | Casino.com | $3000 | 7 |
3 | Mansion | $5000 | 9 |
4 | BetTilt | ||
5 | Betsson | $100 | 7.92 |
6 | Slots Heaven | $100 | 10 |
7 | Royal Spinz | €800 | 9 |
8 | 1xSlots | 8 | |
9 | IviCasino | 8.19 | |
10 | Mr Green | $100 | 10 |