| Updated: October 2, 2024Gambling has been a popular pastime since the Roman Empire. Italians like to bet on everything, especially sports. Football and horse racing are the most popular sports among Italian punters. A curious fact is that Italy is home to the first gambling house, also known as Ridotto, which welcomed its first visitors in 1638.
Nowadays, Italy’s gambling market is considered to be one of the biggest in the European Union. Figures show that Italians wagered a total of €111 billion in 2021. In the same year, the GGR generated from online gambling activities reached €3.46 billion, with online sports betting accounting for €1.44 billion of the total GGR.
Best Sports Betting Sites in Italy
Italy legalized online sports betting in 2006. Since 2010, foreign operators interested in entering the Italian market have been allowed to apply for licenses from the country’s gambling regulator Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM). Italian punters looking for a reliable sportsbook should check our list of the best sports betting sites. We ranked them based on their reputation, sports betting markets, and supported payment methods.
Best Sports Betting Bonuses in Italy
Italian sports fans can take advantage of various sports betting promotions. No matter whether you are a newcomer or an existing punter, your sportsbook will treat you to some generous bonuses. However, you must comply with specific bonus terms to cash out your profits. Some sportsbooks offer jaw-dropping bonuses that come with steep wagering requirements. That is why we advise our readers to carefully read the bonus terms before claiming a sports betting promotion.
Match Deposit Bonus Free Bets Risk-Free Bets Acca InsuranceMatch Deposit Bonus
Italy-friendly betting sites often offer welcome bonuses to new registrants who make a qualifying deposit. There are many types of welcome offers, but the match deposit bonus is the most common. Your first deposit will be matched by a certain percentage up to a specific amount. Betting sites apply wagering requirements to match deposit bonuses, which sports fans must satisfy within a given time frame.
Free Bets
Many online sportsbooks licensed by the ADM pamper their new signees and existing users with free bets. To qualify for a free bet bonus, you may need to fund your account or wager a specific amount. Free bets allow punters to place a wager on a sporting event without risking real money. Given that your wager settles as a win, you will collect the winnings from the free bet.
Risk-Free Bets
Risk-free bets are often offered at ADM-licensed betting sites. This promotion allows sports fans to get back the amount of their initial wager in the form of site credits (free bets) if their bet settles as a loss. You can use the free bets to place a wager on a sporting event of your choice. However, you cannot cash out the money from your free bet.
Acca Insurance
Acca insurance is a popular promotion offered at many online sportsbooks that accept punters from Italy. If you place an accumulator bet and one leg lets you down, the betting site will refund your stake as a free bet. Not all betting markets and sporting events qualify for an Acca insurance promotion. Besides, your accumulator bet must include a minimum number of selections placed at minimum odds as specified by the bookmaker.
Betting Regulation in Italy
Italy has a rich gambling history, dating back to the Roman Empire. As mentioned in the beginning of this article, the world’s first gambling house opened its doors in Venice in 1638. Although the gambling venue could be attended by anyone, the stakes were too high, and only affluent people could afford to gamble there.
But the Roman emperor Plautus banned all forms of gambling because he believed gambling sets a bad example for the young generation. Emperors who came after Plautus upheld the gambling ban, which remained in place for years. However, the ban could not prevent avid gamblers and punters from enjoying their hobby. The tight restrictions gave rise to a huge black market controlled by the Sicilian mafia.
In 1948, the Legislative Decree no. 496 was signed into law to properly regulate the offline gambling market in Italy. Nowadays, there are only four brick-and-mortar casinos that operate in Italy.
The Legal Status of Online Sports Betting in Italy Italy Prepares for Gambling ReorganizationThe Legal Status of Online Sports Betting in Italy
According to Italian Criminal Law, organizing gambling activities in public places or private clubs is illegal. The law also differentiates between games of chance and skills. And since sports betting involves substantial skills, it belongs to the category of legal gambling activities in Italy.
Until 2006, all forms of online gambling activities, including sports betting, were illegal in Italy. However, Italian punters could access foreign betting sites and wager on their favorite sport without being prosecuted. As a result, the government lost millions in revenue. Moreover, Italy’s ban on gambling was in stark violation of the EU’s law regarding the free movement of services. Thus, Italy had no other choice but to amend its gambling law.
In 2006, the country legalized various online gambling activities except for games of chance. The European Union scolded Italy for its restrictive gambling law, which prevented foreign operators from entering the Italian market. At that time, only domestic operators were allowed to accept bets from Italian punters. Thus, Italy had to amend its gambling laws, and in 2010, the country finally opened its market to foreign operators.
The regulatory authority responsible for issuing licenses to international operators was Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato – Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies (AAMS). In 2014, AAMS was changed to the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM).
However, operators must meet strict licensing conditions to acquire an Italian license. They must be located in one of the EU countries and pay an application fee of €350,000. Another requirement for ADM-licensed betting sites is to use the .it web extension. Moreover, operators must prove a turnover of at least €1.5 million in the last 2 years. Licenses are valid for nine years.
According to the Italian gambling law, individuals under the age of 18 are not allowed to participate in online gambling activities, including sports betting.
Italy Prepares for Gambling Reorganization
In October 2022, the country introduced new rules, according to which winnings from fixed-odds bets cannot exceed €50,000. Moreover, the tax imposed on online betting is now 24%, while brick-and-mortar betting shops must pay a 20% tax.
A crucial thing to mention is that there is a cap on the number of licenses that can be issued by the Italian regulator. In 2021, the country decided to reduce the number of online gambling licenses from 120 to 40. However, the Parliament granted online and retail bookies a two-year license extension until 30th June 2024, winning some time to reorganize Italy’s gambling law.
Treasury Deputy Italo Volpe has been tasked with leading the reorganization of the gambling industry. His goal is to “bring stability to the marketplace” and introduce new rules regarding gambling venues, shop distances, opening times, and problem gambling.