In this article we see the history and evolution of online casinos in Italy
ONLINE GAMBLING AND SECURITY
The fundamental piece that allowed the birth and proliferation of online casinos in Italy was their recognition by the state, in order to protect players from scams and malpractice. In Italy, gambling is subject to strict regulation by ADM (Customs and Monopolies Agency).
As of July 18, 2011, all online casino sites with a special AAMS license have been legalized.
Since 2012, the AAMS (Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies) license has been replaced by the ADM license, but in fact it is the same thing, ie the certification that makes a casino legal, safe and risk-free for players.
In the past, the AAMS regulated tobacco, lottery, enalotto and other state monopolies, but recently it has also taken on the task of regulating online gambling.
All online casinos, in order to operate in Italy, must obtain certification: those that are not in order are in fact blocked and obscured.
The importance of certification in online casinos
According to gambling expert Edoardo Riccio of CasinoAffidabile.com, online casinos in Italy would never take off without a series of guarantees contained in the ADM / AAMS license, including:
Gaming platform security Ensures that the online casino does not disappear or refund players’ money Protection of sensitive player data Prohibition of gambling for children under the age of 18 Security and protection of transactions The odds of winning are regulated by AMD and not by the casino Clear technical support Correct operation of the games Ability for the player to self-limit payments Transparency of fundraising methods Application of the RNG (Random Number Generator) system that guarantees the player absolute randomness of numbers
How much does it cost and how to open an online casino in Italy?
To apply for the AAMS license it is necessary to make a payment to the Italian State equal to or greater than € 350k. This figure is justified by the fact that AAMS will actively deal with the technical part, site control and the entire administrative and privacy part of the players.
In addition to this, however, not all service providers can freely access the licenses, since to open a new online casino in Italy it is necessary that the
NOTICE OF COMPETITION:
The competition notice is a key step for online casinos that want to be legally recognized in Italy and obtain an ADM license.
The information to access the call is available through the official website of the Customs and Monopolies Agency and can be requested by anyone, both Italian and foreign companies.
In order to participate in the call, companies must provide a series of necessary information, primarily the type of games on their site, the software used, the domain, traffic capacity and security measures to protect players. .
ORIGIN, EVOLUTION AND PROTAGONISTS OF ONLINE GAMING IN ITALY
The first provider to obtain AAMS certification was Evolution Gaming.
Founded in 2006 and with extensive experience in land-based casinos, Evolution Gaming is the leading and most popular online gaming provider. He has developed and continues to create hundreds of games designed specifically for his customers, including William Hill, the online casino present in Italy since 2011 who first supported the Evolution Gaming initiative. Among the most important customers, however, we find many well-known names:
Lottomatica, 888, Sisal, Betclic and many others
Among the most popular live online games made by Evolution Gaming are roulette, dice, blackjack and live poker:
In addition to having Italian certification, Evolution Gaming can boast licenses and certifications worldwide.
In 2020 Evolution Gaming expanded its business with the acquisition of Netent, the world leader in online slot machine games.
With the creation of more than 200 casino games, including without a doubt the famous slot machines Street Fighter 2, Hotline 2, Gonzo’s Quest and many others, an average of 50 billion gaming transactions per year, Netent represents a standard in quantitative and above all qualitative terms. The feature of Netent games is a maniacal attention to game details, always up to date in terms of graphics, usability and fun. Also thanks to the high security standards, Netent’s customers include more than 200 online casinos, many of them active in Italy.
THE ORIGINS OF ITALIAN REGULATIONS
Going backwards, the first steps for the regulation of online gambling were undoubtedly taken from 2005, when the financial one was promulgated (Law 266/2005 art. 535-536) through which the role of gambling is established. ‘Autonomous Company of State Monopolies. This had the purpose for the first years to control all games with real and not virtual winnings and above all to seek and obscure all those illegal domains that operated in Italy without the necessary security clearances.
With 266, the first real revolution related to Italian regulations on online gambling took place. Hundreds of online gaming sites have been blocked, in fact forcing Italian players to play only through the providers in good standing whose internet domain was hosted on a page of the State Monopolies.
Between 2009 and 2011, the legislative sphere was mainly in defense of minors under the age of 18: laws 88 of 2009 and 98 of 2011 defined a total ban on gambling on minors.
At the same time, the penalties for those sites that do not comply with the law and allow children under 18 to play have been tightened.
The real turning point came in 2011 under the Berlusconi government, when it was decided to legalize online betting sites and casinos, in relation to lotteries and board games. With the Monti government, however, the following year, in 2012, the other types of games were legalized, including online slot machines.
In 2018, casinos were banned from advertising online, a measure that caused serious damage to the entire industry. However, this measure was reduced the following year thanks to the intervention of the control and telecommunications body, which modified it in part.
ONLINE CASINO IN ITALY: WHICH TO CHOOSE
While a few years ago Italians who wanted to gamble could only count on the 4 physical casinos in the area (Saint Vincent, Casino de la vallée, Campione, Casino di Venezia), play lotto, super lottery, horse racing and totocalcio, now everything it has changed.
Hundreds of games of chance, poker and slot machines are accessible directly from your PC or smartphone. All the adrenaline of casinos is just a click away, you just have to choose the best portal to invest your money.
Thanks to Italian regulations, playing online is safe and fun, just choose one of the more than 50 AAMS licensed casinos.
The factors to consider when choosing one online casino over another should be the following:
Welcome bonus Recharge bonus Quantity and quality of games Ease of collection Updated software compatible with PCs and smartphones Presence of dedicated app Customer support Presence of live events
The most famous casinos in Italy are also those that advertise more and that also include a good share of online betting.
Among the most famous and reliable are without a doubt: William Hill, 888, Lottomatica, Snai and Bwin
POSSIBLE EVOLUTIONS OF ONLINE GAMING
We talked about the past and how in a few years the way of approaching gambling has been revolutionized and the habits of thousands of players around the world and especially in Italy have been overturned.
If the change that has taken place in recent decades may seem epochal, nothing in the face of the revolution awaits us in the near future.
The turning point in online gambling is definitely the metaverse. The creation of Mark Zuckerberg is the natural social market for the evolution of online casinos, a new form of entertainment linked to online gambling.
In short, it consists of wearing a viewer, registering through an account in one of the many virtual worlds and living an almost real experience in an alternative world. The alternative world can of course also be a virtual casino. Dozens of virtual online platforms for playing virtual casinos are being born and multiplied in the last period. Worth noting is Ice Poker, a platform designed specifically for the virtual world by provider Decentraland. The game is only available on the Decentraland metaverse and in a few months has achieved unparalleled success: over $ 7 billion in revenue and 5,000 daily users. To sit at the game table you no longer need traditional money but nft, real digital passes that allow you to play and then convert what you win into real money.
Being a new world, a precise regulation on the subject must also be produced in the legislative field. We are confident that Italy, with the experience gained so far, will keep alive the focus on the regulation of these new markets to ensure the security and protection of all virtual players catapulted into the metaverse.
