Italy Jurisdiction profile

Gambling is fully operational in Italy, with the government assigning the Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stado (AAMS) in charge of overseeing the industry. The group covers the online gambling sector by ensuring operators are licensed and comply with legal laws. The AAMS monitors and regulates all gaming, lottery services, and sports betting.

Work is ongoing to ensure that license holders in the market are compliant, offering only quality services to patrons. To offer legalized services in Italy, a company must obtain licensing. Any company that is not licensed and operates in Italy will face a penalty.

An interested company must first submit an application and receive approval from regulators. After approval to offer casino and sports betting operations, strict procedures must be followed. Certain business practices are required, along with details pertaining to player accounts. Any entity that is found to be non-compliant will face criminal charges or fines.

The strict nature of the industry keeps operators in line, which means patrons can rest easy knowing player protections are in place. In the beginning, the AAMS focused solely on providing licensing to operators located in Italy. Later on, the regulator opened the process to companies within the European Union.

By 2011, legislation was approved in Italy that allowed foreign online casino and poker gaming to be available to players. Online poker satellites and tournaments were also included. Operators could enter the market as long as they had the appropriate licensing.

Gaming platforms must meet the standard requirements to offer services in the country. Operators must provide the specifics of their platforms to AAMS. The regulator must also be notified within 30 days before a provider decides to add new games to their platform.

Once a provider is approved for licensing, they must complete the AAMS's authorization process. Previous platform certification is a requirement for games, including casino options, skill, and card products.

To obtain licensing, a company must meet certain requirements. When it comes to online gambling, a provider must have a registered .it domain. All company founders, key employees, and shareholders must have passports to Italy.

An Italian bank account is a requirement, plus proof of financial stability. A company needs to be able to show that it can provide payment to players to ensure protection for members. Gambling software quality is also essential. A company must show that it offers top-notch software so that gaming is seamless, and no issues will arise.

The platform and games provided need to be described in Italian, along with the business plan. This allows players and officials to be able to read the information with ease.

Once a company can meet these qualifications and is approved by regulators, services can be provided to players. A licensed operator must maintain its qualifications and remain in compliance continually to hold on to licensing.