Italy
doing so has created a competitive and profitable sector and is often said to be a shining example of successful regulation for other European countries to base themselves on.
In 2006 a decree set up a framework which meant operators would need to obtain a licence from the AAMS to operate and in 2009 further modifications were added to ensure licences were issued to Italian corporate entities, the systems were monitored, taxes were paid and non licensed operators could be sued.
The Abruzzo Decree of 2009 permitted online fixed odds games of chance (online casinos and Vegas style games). It also legalised online poker and ring games. Such games were launched only in February 2011 when another decree regulated their operation.
Today most other sectors are now permitted and the various sports betting games include: Football pools (Totocalcio), Totogol, fixed odds betting, betting exchange, virtual betting, Big Match, Big Race and other sporting events.
The Decree of Liberalisation of 2007 made online gambling legal. It provided a clean slate also for the licensing and regulation process although it took until 2010 for the first 33 remote gambling licences to be issued. The limit on the number of licences is set to 200. The offering of games in Italy without a local licence in punished with criminal sanctions and considerable tax liabilities.
The AAMS is responsible for the licensing process. It only provided licences to reputable companies with proven track records. They also have to be EEA resident companies with their technological infrastructure based in the EEA and meet turnover requirements.
The licences cover: skill games, tournament and solitaire poker games, cash poker games, casino games, fixed odd and totalisator sports, betting exchange, bets on virtual events, horse and other betting events, horse pools and bingo.
The legislation at the time when the online licences were issued in 2011 includes:
l Companies must have a turnover of no less than €1.5m in the last two years
l Have reliable administration members. l Only companies founded as capital societies
l To have official residence and technical sup- ports in EU
l To pay €350,000 to AAMS for the licence. 4 2
ONLINE GAMING DIVISION SECTOR
Casino games (slots)
Casino games (roulette/blackjack) Sports betting Poker Cash
Poker Tournament Bingo
Virtual betting Horse racing
Skill games in Tournament
Betting Exchange, Contests and Big+Scratch Lotto
Lotteries TOTAL
l The rule for payouts for skill games and card games for tournaments is an 80 percent pay- out, multiplayer games must have a 90 percent payout, card games against the house also 90 percent as are fixed odds and games of chance.
l Taxes: Online casino and cash poker 20 per- cent GGR, online sports betting 2-5 percent of turnover, tournament poker and skill games 3 percent and bingo 12 percent tax on deposits.
GGR 2014 €147m €110m €214m €108 €70m
€27.1m €10.1m €9.9m €9.3m €8.9m €8.2m €5.5m
€726m €725m
At the moment the Italian government is looking to overhaul the online gambling regime including reduced tax rates and increased sports betting options. The biggest change is the suggestion of moving the 2-5 percent tax on turnover for sports betting to a new 20 percent tax on GGR in relation to all the online games.
Also although in play wagers were permitted last year the government is looking at allowing operators to offer non traditional betting products
GGR 2013 €136.7m €121m
€190.4m €130.6m €82.6m
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