Our Guide to the Best Italian Online Casinos

The Italian online casino market is thriving right now, with many popular casino brands accepting Italian players. Given the abundance of gambling sites currently available in Italy, you may find it difficult to choose a casino site to join. This is where we come in: our expert team has spent hours sifting through Italy's online casinos to bring you the best of the best. If you're unsure whether any of the above sites are right for you, our team has put together a handy Italy casino guide to show you what to expect from our reputable partners:

Superior Safety and Security

Nothing beats playing your favorite casino games online with complete peace of mind, knowing your personal information and banking information are secure. When it comes to online gambling, we prioritize safety, which is why we only approve casino sites that are licensed by Italy's gambling regulator, the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM).

Our Italy online casinos adhere to the ADM's stringent security requirements, which means that players' personal information is protected by SSL encryption and casino games are audited for fairness. Furthermore, our reputable online casinos in Italy take responsible gaming very seriously and employ a variety of measures to combat gambling addiction and underage gambling. Whichever site you choose from our Italy online casino list, you can be sure of a safe and legal gaming experience.

Excellent Bonuses and Ongoing Promotions

We would never recommend an Italian casino site unless it provided a warm welcome and a generous new player bonus. Bonuses are one of the most appealing aspects of online gambling, so we carefully review each casino that accepts Italian players to ensure that they provide excellent bonuses with reasonable wagering requirements.

No deposit bonuses, cash back, and free spins are all available at our premium casino sites. And the fun doesn't stop with your welcome bonus; you'll be able to take advantage of numerous daily and weekly promotions long after you've signed up. Loyal members at our Italy online casinos are frequently invited to join a VIP program, which provides exclusive gifts and personalized customer service.

A Huge Variety of Casino Games

Table games are popular among Italian online casino players, and slot machines have also become popular, which is why we only recommend casino sites that offer a large selection of these games. When you enter the games lobby, you can expect to see casino classics like blackjack, European roulette, and craps, as well as hundreds of slot machines. Specialty games such as Keno, scratch cards, and a variety of video poker titles are also available.

NetEnt, IGT, Aristocrat, Microgaming, and Bally Technologies are just a few of the well-known software developers you'll find at our casinos. Such well-known names are a sure sign that you'll be playing high-quality casino games.

Several Quick Payment Options

It goes without saying that an online casino accepting players from Italy should provide a diverse range of deposit and withdrawal options. Every website on our list accepts debit and credit cards, e-Wallets like Skrill and PayPal, and simple prepaid cards like Postepay. We would not include a casino on this page if it did not accept popular Italian banking methods and the euro currency.

We believe that depositing and withdrawing money should be quick and easy, so we ensure that all of our approved casino sites are quick and efficient in this regard. Everyone wants to use their preferred payment method, and no one wants to wait indefinitely to withdraw their winnings.

An Overview of Online Gambling in Italy

When it comes to gambling regulations, most of Europe was reacting to the online revolution with bans and prohibitive legislation, but Italy swam against the tide and began to liberalize and regulate the industry.

The government passed regulations in 2006 that allowed operators to offer sports betting both in retail locations and online. There were also regulations in place for remote and online betting, but there were limitations. The government delegated authority over licensing and industry administration to AAMS (Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies).

Initially, any operator wishing to conduct business in Italy had to apply for a license, but one requirement was that they use a.it domain and that their servers be located within Italian borders. The AAMS compiled a blacklist of over 500 'illegal' websites, which Internet Service Providers were required by law to block. After the EU initiated proceedings against Italy for blocking those domains in 2007, the Italian government sent proposals to Brussels to make the legislation more EU-friendly.

The proposals eliminated the need for operators to establish an Italian company or house their servers in the country, and the 'Abruzzo Decree' in 2009 brought about the most significant change in the Italian gaming industry. Fixed odds games of chance, as well as poker and ring games, were made legal by the legislation. It mandated the AAMS to regulate betting exchanges, virtual events, and video lottery games, as well as a new tax regime for newly legalized games.

Although the tax change may not appear to be of critical importance, it was. Previously, betting activities were taxed on a turnover basis, which still applies to sports betting, lotteries, and skill-based games, but newly legalized games of chance were subject to a 20% profit tax. What it meant was that a wider variety of games could be offered to the Italian public, which would not have been possible with the more restrictive tax regime.

Recent Developments in the Italian Online Gambling Industry

By 2011, the licensing application process had been updated, and operators were now permitted to offer poker and casino games (excluding slots). However, tournaments were limited to a €250 buy-in limit, and at least 90% of the total pot was required to be returned to the players. Real money slot machines were finally legalized in 2012, and they have since become the single fastest growing segment of the Italian gambling industry.

On December 1st, 2012, AAMS was dissolved, and all gambling authorities were transferred to l'Agenzia delle Dogane. The agency was renamed Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM), and it now serves as Italy's customs and monopoly agency, reporting to the Ministry of Finance.

The "Balduzzi" decree introduced general gambling advertising rules the same year, and stricter rules have recently been implemented for advertisements relating to games with cash prizes.

The Stability Law prohibited gambling advertisements that encourage problematic or excessive gambling, deny the inherent risk of gambling, and fail to make explicit the terms and conditions of bonuses and incentives at the end of 2015. To protect minors, the law also prohibited advertisements for cash-win games on "generic programs" from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The 2019 Italian Budget Law increased taxation on a variety of gambling products, including online betting (from 22 to 24% GGR), offline betting (from 18 to 20% GGR), online bingo, and skill games (from 20 to 25% GGR).

The new law also prohibits payments to unlicensed gambling operators. Credit card companies, banks, and financial institutions will be prohibited from transferring gambling-related funds to unlicensed operators who offer their bets/games in Italy. The Italian government implemented these changes in order to increase potential tax revenue from the gambling sector. Some industry experts have criticized the recent changes, claiming that the law will encourage the growth of illegal markets. However, only time will tell what long-term effects the Budget Law's implementation will have.

This has also had a positive impact in other countries, such as Spain and Canada, where operators have attempted to transition to new legislation.

Online Gambling Revenue

Since the beginning of liberalisation, the Italian gambling industry has grown to become one of the largest in the world, with total revenues reaching an eye-watering €728 million in 2014.

The gaming landscape has changed dramatically during this period of reform, and online slots have grown dramatically since they became legal in 2012. Horse racing betting has been steadily declining, with the AMD reporting a 17% drop in revenue in 2011, while poker has suffered significantly, losing nearly a third of its revenue in 2013. In contrast, AMD increased its casino game profits by 80%, owing largely to the growing popularity of slot machines.

Between 2015 and 2016, overall gambling revenue increased by 21%. As of 2017, Italy's gambling industry was worth €80 billion per year, with approximately 10% going to the national budget.

The Italian Gambling Industry's Future

With relatively lax gambling laws, Italy is one step ahead of the majority of mainland Europe, and it has demonstrated how to develop a thriving industry while collecting significant tax revenue for the government. While it is unclear how the recent tax increase will affect the gambling industry, Italian online casinos continue to thrive, and this trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

Join an Italian Online Casino Today!

Now that you understand the intricacies of Italy's online gambling landscape, it's time to join one of our recommended casinos from the list above. Our expert gambling team chose each site based on its excellent welcome package, stringent security measures, wide range of casino games, and excellent customer service. We always make sure that our Italy online casinos are a cut above the rest, so choose from our carefully curated casino list and sign up today!