In this article we look at the history and evolution of online casinos in Italy
ONLINE GAMBLING AND SECURITY
The fundamental piece that has allowed the birth and multiplication of online casinos in Italy has been their recognition by the State, in order to safeguard players from fraud and malpractice. In Italy gambling is subject to strict regulation by ADM (Agenzia Dogane e Monopoli).
As of July 18, 2011, all online casino sites with the appropriate AAMS license have been legalized
As of 2012, the AAMS (Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies) license was replaced by the ADM license, but in fact it deals with the same thing, or the certification that makes a legal, safe and risk-free casino for players.
In the past the AAMS regulated tobacco, the lottery game, enalotto and other state monopolies, but recently it has also taken on the task of regulating online gambling.
All online casinos, to operate in Italy, must obtain certification: those that do not comply are 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:
Security of the gaming platform Guarantee that the online casino does not disappear and does not return the money of the players Protection of the sensitive data of the players Prohibition of gaming for those under 18 Security and protection of transactions The probability of winning is regulated by AMD and not by the casino Clear technical assistance Correct operation of the games Ability of the player to self-limit and deposit Transparency of fund withdrawal mode Application of the RNG (Random Number Generator) system that guarantees the player the absolute randomness of the numbers
How much does it cost 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 take care of the technical part, control of the site and all the administrative part and the privacy of the players.
Apart from this, however, not all service providers can access licenses freely, since to open a new casino online in Italy, it is necessary that there is
COMPETITION RANGE:
The competition band is a fundamental step for online casinos that want to be recognized legally in Italy and obtain the ADM license.
The information to access the band is available through the official website of the Agenzia delle Customs and Monopolies and everyone, both Italian and foreign companies, can request it.
To be able to participate in the competition, the company must provide a series of necessary information, in particular the type of games present on the site, the software used, the domain, the traffic capacity and the security measures to protect the players .
ORIGIN, EVOLUTION AND PROTAGONIST OF ONLINE GAMING IN ITALY
The first provider to obtain the AAMS certification was Evolution Gaming.
Founded in 2006 and with strong experience in land-based casinos, Evolution Gaming is the main and most famous provider of online games. It has developed and continues to create hundreds of games designed specifically for its clients, among which stands out William Hill, the online casino present in Italy since 2011 that has supported the initiative of Evolution Gaming, among clients of major relief however we find many nomi noti:
Lottomatica, 888, Sisal, Betclic and many others
Among the most popular online games from Evolution Gaming we find roulette, dice, blackjack and live poker:
In addition to having the Italian certification, Evolution Gaming can boast licenses and certifications worldwide.
In 2020 Evolution Gaming has increased its own business with the acquisition of Netent, world leader in online slot machine games
With the active creation of over 200 casino games, among which the famous slot machine Street Fighter 2, Hotline 2, Gonzo’s Quest and many others stand out, an average of 50 billion gaming transactions per year, Netent represents one standard in terms of quantity and especially quality. The characteristic of the Netent games is a maniacal attention to the details of the games, always updated in terms of graphics, usability and fun. Anche thanks to the high safety standards, Netent’s clients include over 200 online casinos, many of which are active in Italy.
THE ORIGIN OF ITALIAN REGULATION
Going backwards, the first step towards the regulation of online gambling was undoubtedly made in 2005, when the financial institution was promulgated (Law 266/2005 artt. 535-536) through which the role of the ‘Azienda Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato. This has had the purpose for the first few years to control all games with real and non-virtual wins and above all to search and obscure all illegal domains that operated in Italy without the necessary security authorizations.
With 266, the first real revolution related to Italian regulation of online gambling took place. Hundreds of online gaming sites have been blocked, forcing Italian players to play only through a regulated provider whose internet domain was hosted on a State Monopoly page.
Between 2009 and 2011, the legislative field was expressed above all in the defense of minors under 18: Laws 88 of 2009 and 98 of 2011 defined the total ban on gambling for minors.
At the same time, the penalty has been increased for sites that do not comply with the laws and allow the game to be played by minors under 18.
The real turning point took place in 2011 under the Berlusconi government, when it was decided to legalize betting sites and online casinos, relative to lotteries and table games. With the Monti government in the following year, in 2012, another type of game was also legalized, including the online slot machine.
In 2018, casinos were banned from advertising online, a provision that created serious damage to the entire sector. Provision that however the following year was reduced thanks to the intervention of the control and telecommunications body that modified it in part.
ONLINE CASINO IN ITALY: QUALE SCEGLIERE
While a few years ago the Italians who wanted to gamble could only count on their 4 physical casinos present on the territory (Saint Vincent, Casinò de la vallée, Campione, Casino di Venezia), giocare al lotto, superenalotto, ippica e totocalcio, adesso tutto it changed
Hundreds of games of chance, poker and slot machines are accessible directly from PC or smartphone. All the adrenaline of the casino is just a click away, all you have to do is choose the best portal to invest your money.
Thanks to Italian regulations, playing online is safe and fun, just choose one of the over 50 AAMS-licensed casinos.
I factori da tenere considerazione per la scelta di un casino online rather than che un altro dovreve essere i seguenti:
Welcome bonus Charging bonus Quantity and quality of games Ease of download Software updated and compatible with PC and smartphone Presence of a dedicated app Client assistance Presence of live events
The most famous casinos in Italy are also those that make greater publicity and that also contemplate a good share of online gambling.
Among the most famous and reliable ones are: William Hill, 888, Lottomatica, Snai and Bwin
POSSIBLE EVOLUTION 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 all over the world and especially in Italy have been turned upside down.
If the change that took place in the last decade can be epochal, it is not null in the face of the revolution and waits for the next future.
The turn of online gambling is surely the metaverse. The creation of Mark Zuckerberg is the natural social market of the evolution of online casinos, a new form of entertainment linked to online gambling.
In summary, it consists of wearing a viewer, registering through an account in one of many virtual worlds and living a quasi-real experience in an alternative world. The alternative world obviously can also be a virtual casino. In the last period they are emerging and if they are multiplying dozens of virtual online platforms to play in virtual casinos. Worth noting Ice Poker, a platform designed specifically for the virtual world by the provider Decentraland. The game is available only on the Decentraland metaverse and in a few months it has reached an unprecedented success: more than 7 billion dollars in revenue and 5000 daily users. To sit at the table of the game, I don’t serve traditional money anymore but nft, of course, digital lasciapassare that allows you to play and subsequently convert what you win into real money.
Being a new world, even in the legislative sphere a precise regulation on the subject must be produced. We are sure that Italy, strong from the experience acquired so far, will keep the attention alive on the regulation of these new markets to guarantee the safety and protection of all virtual players catapulted into the metaverse.
