Italy is a country located in south-central Europe, occupying a peninsula that juts deep into the Mediterranean Sea. Italy comprises some of the most varied and scenic landscapes on Earth and is often described as a country shaped like a boot. Not many countries can pride themselves on having snowcapped alps, beautiful lakes, sunny beaches, lush vineyards, mountains, islands, and fantastic coastline.

The capital is Rome, one of the oldest of the world’s great cities and a favorite of visitors, who go there to see its great monuments and works of art as well as to enjoy the city’s famed dolce vita, or “sweet life. The Italian economy is driven in large part by the manufacture of high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises, many of them family-owned.

Education has also been a central part of the Italian culture and society. And they can pride themselves on being home to one of the oldest universities in the world. The University of Bologna was founded somewhere around the year 1000 and is still a highly regarded university thousand years later.

It is also due to them that the game came to other European countries. The history of gambling in Italy dates back to the days of the Roman Empire, when the predecessor of the modern backgammon, Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum became popular among the Roman legionnaires. Baccarat originated in Italy in the 15th century. Bingo is also of Italian origin. In the 1530s, the Italians played a game called ‘Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia’ that resembled bingo.

In Venice of 1638 the first gambling house “Ridotto” was opened. It was sanctioned by the government aiming to control the gambling activity of the citizens. Although the admission to that gambling house was free, only rich people could afford to play there, because the stakes were high.

The games played were Biribi resembling the lottery and Bassetta. Both games had a very high house edge. In 1774 “Ridotto” was closed which resulted in the growth of popularity of the closed gambling clubs. These clubs were called ‘casinos’, so the word ‘casino’ itself is of Italian origin. Gambling in Italy has existed for centuries and has taken on many forms.

The government of Italy offers casino operators, software, and service providers in the gambling industry, with a gambling license that allows gambling operators to conduct business related to casino, lotto, and other gaming-related activities. Most forms of gambling are well engrained in Italian society. The country is credited with what is often referred to as the world’s oldest land-based casino in the world.

Casino di Venezia was apparently established as far back as 1638. The nation also boasts the popular Casino de la Vallee in Saint Vincent. The Italian Games License is one of the most coveted licenses for online casinos worldwide. Italy has come a long way from totally prohibiting all gambling activities, to legalizing some of them under certain conditions. The main reason why the Italian government adhered to strict rules was the desire to avoid the possible negative effects associated with the gambling industry.

In 2007, the Italian government affirmed the Decree on Liberation and declared that online gambling was now a legal pastime and The Finance Act of 2007 also legalized card games of skill. Towards the beginning of 2011, real money online poker games and a variety of other casino games were also legalized by the Italian government. Italy is now a major issuer of online gambling licenses and one of the toughest regulators in Europe.

There are many Italian enterprises dealing with gambling activities. Italy’s infrastructure offers a wide array of services for online gaming operators and providers, such as high-capacity private racks, private cloud services, custom dedicated servers amidst other hosting options.

Italy has long been recognized as one of the preferred locations for Online Gambling operators to base their operations. This success has been due to a combination of factors, such as a progressive legislative system, political stability, first-rate telecommunications facilities, and a well established financial services industry. A wide range of gambling sites operates out of Italy including sports betting, casino sites, poker, bingo, and more.

Regulations for online and offline gambling were introduced and companies could now legally offer sports betting services at public high street establishments, plus they were also now allowed to offer their services online. This included online casino services and other online gambling services and products.

This move prompted an immediate growth for the industry and huge revenue for the government. Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli was created to fight against illegal gaming by verifying the compliance of licensees and traders of the gaming sector. Its powers include not only the registration of casino companies but also the control and regulation of gambling activities.

The officials in the country’s gambling regulator Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli verify the documents provided by the gambling companies as part of the license application process. National Anti-Money Laundering Regulations, Unusual Transactions Act, Counter-Terrorism Financing Regulations and Know Your Customer Policies are applicable to all Italy Gambling Companies. As part of its duties, the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli monitors gaming businesses and services to ensure that they operate according to the standards and regulations of the Government of Italy.

Compliance audits are conducted on a regular basis to ensure that the terms of the license are met. Licensees must maintain a complete audit trail for each player making a deposit with an operator, including financial transactions and individual bets. Gaming systems, including back-end software logs, must be made available to third-party auditors.

Gaming rules, results of games, and pay-outs are to be made available to Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli for five years.

Let’s talk more about the benefits by understanding the reasons why obtaining an Italy igaming license may be ideal for you.

When starting an Italy Online Gambling Business, first of all, it’s important to think about one of the most essential procedures, that is company registration and acquisition of the license. Italy Gambling License gives many excellent opportunities to each licensee and makes their business profitable.

Tax legislation in Italy provides taxes in gambling that depend on the amount of gross revenue and cash assets turnover in the company. One of its most notable aspects was the new tax regime based on the profit rather than on the turnover. A flat rate of 20% was to be applied to all newly legalized games except the video lottery games. Operators organizing sports and horse betting, lotteries, and skill games still had to pay 3% of total tournament buy-ins sold.

Italy has political stability, first-rate telecommunications facilities, and a well-established financial services industry. In addition, it maintains an attractive environment for international online gaming companies. Italy Gambling License is recognized by many countries all over the world, so you will have a large potential customer base after getting it.

In order to obtain an Italy Gambling License, the decision to approve the application is at the discretion of the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli, based on the documentation submitted by our experts. Italy issues one Online Gambling license which covers all gaming operations, igaming service providers, network operators, affiliates, white-label operators, and igaming software suppliers.

With this Italy Gambling License, online gaming companies can operate legally. Each applicant undergoes a thorough assessment, ensuring that licenses are only awarded to those applicants who are able to demonstrate such a financial standing and integrity as to preserve the international reputation of Italy as an online gambling hub.

In case something does not correspond to requirements, the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli will provide a checklist of necessary improvements. An Italy Gambling License covers all forms of online gambling including Casino, eSports, Poker, Sports Betting, Lotto, Bingo, Horseracing, Bitcoin Casino, Fantasy Sports, Games of Skill, and other gaming-related activities without being required to obtain one license for each individual product. Italy Gambling License enables companies to operate all over the world.

• Residence in Italy. Operators wishing to offer their services to Italy gamblers must be residents of Italy and they must obtain the relevant licenses and authorizations from the Agenzia delle Dogane e di Monopoli. In case the company is a foreign entity, it must appoint a local director, whose domicile is in Italy, to deal with the competent authorities in the country and have the power to conclude contracts on its behalf
• Opening of a bank account with one of the banks in Italy where the operator would need to deposit the players’ money. Licensed remote gaming operators will only be allowed to make payments to players through the payment processors that have been approved by the Italy Regulatory Authority
• Requirements regarding the minimum share capital of the company depending on the type of game it offers
• A monthly declaration giving details regarding income from games of change as well as the fees due will have to be submitted to the Italy Regulatory Authority on a standard form
• Compliance with the principles regarding the protection of minors as well as with the content of the promotional material used and the locations where they can be displayed