Italy Gambling License (ADM)

Before starting online gambling activities in Italy, the operators have to begin with obtaining a license. Italy gaming license allows operators to enjoy many opportunities to make profits from their business. Offering gambling activities in the country without a license will attract between six months to three years imprisonment.

The amount of tax charged depends on the total revenue of the company. The fixed VAT rate is 20%. Apart from that, there are some additional gaming taxes. Here is a list of the additional taxes attached to different games

•         Exchange betting – 20% on gross revenues
•         Online casino games – 0.6% turnover
•         Sports betting – 3.5%
•         Skill-based games – 3%
•         Horse race betting – 10%
•         Bingo – 11.5%

The ADM gives out strict guidelines to be followed by all prospective operators. The companies also have to be incorporated in Italy. The ADM specialists will then work closely with the government authorities to review the license application.

Types of Online Gambling Licenses Issued

The ADM allows operators to choose between three possible licenses for online operations. Interested operators choose one depending on the types of gambling activities they want to offer on the site. These include the online casino license, online lottery license, and sports races license.

Before an online casino license can be approved for an operator, the operator must meet some requirements. The gambling legislation requires the submission of some documents. Some of the documents include:

•         Proof of the proposed online casino site being registered on a “.it” domain
•         Details and passports of the founders and shareholders
•         A description of the platform and games
•         Proof of gaming software quality
•         A comprehensive business plan.

Brief History of the Italian Gaming Authority

Different forms of gambling take place in Italy. The country has one of the world’s oldest brick-and-mortar casinos. Often referred to as the oldest casino in the world, Casino di Venezia was established in 1638. In addition to this casino, the country also has many other land-based gaming venues. So, the current gambling activities and the AAMS did not happen overnight in Italy.

Online gambling activities first surfaced in the mid-1990s, then Italy was not certain how it could properly regulate it. But the Italian government was quick to respond by not prohibiting gamblers from betting online. But most gambling activities in the country were still strictly prohibited. It was until 2000 that the doors opened and gambling became allowed in Italy. It was around then, the ADM formerly known as AAMS was established.

From the beginning of 2011, online poker games and many other casino games were made legal by the government. The then AAMS introduced regulations for offline and online gambling. It gave room for the immediate growth of the gambling market and brought in more revenue for the government of Italy. In 2014, AAMS was changed to ADM. Since then, hundreds and possibly thousands of online and offline gambling operators have been licensed in Italy.

Casinos operating with Italy Gambling License

Several casinos have been licensed by the ADM today. The best Italian casinos accept Euros and support the Italian language. You will also find many Italian payment methods available there. However, many players in the country still prefer to gamble at offshore online casinos.

Gambling operators like Pokerstars, Videoslots, and Lottomatica operates in Italy with the gaming license. These sites also provide their services in the Italian language and have dedicated versions of their sites for Italian players.

Challenges and Advantages of the Italy Gaming License

Unlike many other EU gaming License regulators, the ADM is not so popular among lovers of online casino games. When searching for casinos to play at, players look out for regulators like the Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission, and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. This means the Italy Gambling License is only respected more in the country. It is yet to gain global respect like some other authorities. This may make players trust the regulation from the ADM lesser.

Also, some operators are discouraged by the high rate of taxes and strict conditions for acquiring the ADM license. For this reason, the ADM has not been able to attract more operators.

However, there are still some advantages operators may get from having an Italian gaming license. This is if they will overlook the cost. These include the right to operate a casino in Italy and become a partner of European banks. It also takes a relatively short time for operators to obtain this license.