Italy (AAMS) Licensed Casinos

Introduction to the Italian Gambling Law and Regulation

The number of gamblers in Italy is only increasing. This is mainly due to the advancement of mobile technology.

However, it can also be said that Italians love gambling. Many Italians these days are engaging in games, such as slots, poker, bingo, and jackpots.

History of Gambling in Italy

Gambling in Italy dates back to the Vatican, this means it has been a popular pastime for the people in the country. It began in the 4th century when the grave of St. Peter had been constructed.

Baccarat was the most popular game played among the Roman legionnaires before the 15th century. It was their favorite thing to indulge in when they were not in a battle. The Ancient Roman civilians also enjoyed a casual game during the evening.

Even though the Western Roman Empire fell, gambling survived. It made gaming more important in society. Just like all over the world, online casinos and betting platforms are gaining popularity in Italy.

Gambling Laws of Italy

As per the Italian criminal regulation, gambling isn’t legal, whether you are doing it in public or privately. But the Italian authorities have also mentioned the fact that there is a difference between a game of luck, where the game’s outcome depends on your luck, and a game of skill, where the outcome primarily depends on your skill. Hence, you can say that sports betting and some other activities fall under the category of legal gambling activities.

Italy has a massive contribution to the gaming world. With time, it has proved that it is an incredible destination for gambling.

The Kahnawake Gaming Law became the first to accept gambling as a permitted business and this resulted in the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. Their interactive gaming division came online in July of 1999. Because of this, they are considered one of the pioneers in the iGaming industry.

But the country had a tumultuous history when it came to the gambling industry. Its first online gambling laws came up in 2006 after some deliberations from the European Commission. They had some concerns regarding the monopoly of the Italian government in the gambling scene. But there was a further change in the laws. It came into effect in 2010. After this, offshore gambling services were finally able to offer their services to the people of Italy.

The development was a cornerstone for liberalizing the gambling market. It gave players the chance to play with a wide range of operators across the world. So, if you are from Italy, you will be able to enjoy a wide range of games at the top Italian online casino. Even though it might be a seamless experience for the players, operators have different issues to deal with. AAMS has laid down harsh rules and regulations for people seeking an internet gambling license.

What Is AAMS?

In Italy, illegal gambling activities are punishable offenses. To reduce illegal gambling activities, Agenzia Delle Dogane e Dei Monopoli or ADM came into being. It was mainly to verify the compliance of licensees and traders inside the gambling sector.

The body also has the name of Amministrazione Autonoma Dei Monopoli Di Stato or AAMS. It is a regulating body that issues licenses to foreign and local casino operators that run both land-based and online casinos. Licensees in the jurisdiction should follow strict rules and regulations for acquiring and retaining a license in Italy.

Italy gambling depends on regular audits and verified software to make sure that games are above board. The institutions conduct tests now and then to make sure if an operator is providing its offerings legally.

AAMS License

Amministrazione Autonoma Dei Monopoli Di Stato or AAMS is responsible for ascertaining the proper conduct of online operators and preventing the violation of gambling regulations and rules. It makes sure to avoid corruption, fraud, and money laundering in the gambling industry of Italy.

The gambling authority issues licenses and over-skill games, casino games, poker games, lotteries, horse pools, bingo, and sports betting. The total number of licenses that AAMS can issue is 200. It cannot go over this.

Having a license from AAMS means you have to follow some responsibilities. The licensing authority makes sure that the online casino companies have to test and audit their games regularly. The operators should also bring some amount of revenue.

What Is the Purpose of Amministrazione Autonoma Dei Monopoli Di Stato?

Before 2006, gambling in Italy was highly restricted. It was taken to be illegal in public venues, as well as in private clubs. But there was an amendment in 2010 that let European operators offer gambling services in all brick-and-mortar facilities. It was not until 2010 that the government of Italy came up with new laws enabling players in the country to get access to online gambling sites.

Provisions of AAMS License

The AAMS has limitations as it can only issue 200 licenses at a time. It means that the licensing body is prepositioned to offer licenses to Italian-based companies and not to overseas operators.

The online casino or sportsbook operators having a license from AAMS have to adhere to some strict conditions. Any operator applying for the license has to offer AAMS enough evidence that they,

• Can run a responsible and functional company at a higher technical level, providing customers services that are easy to navigate, easy to use, and responsive.
• Manage casino games in Europe with a minimum turnover of €1,500,00 over the last 2 years.
• Have experienced members of staff managing the company.
• Are based on capitalist society.
• Are based in Europe and this includes the official offices, technical support, and customer support.

Due to the changes in legislation, operators in the EFTA and EU along with the operators from the overseas jurisdiction can apply for licenses in Italy for gaming. As soon as they submit the documents to AAMS, applicants might have to wait for 3 months for a thorough review.

The application fee must reach the commission before the application comes through, and this is important. Only then the processing will commence and this is a total of USD 50,000.

AAMS Authorization Process

After the application has been approved, the operator is going to receive a license. But, before the license becomes effective, operators have to go through an authorization process to get a certificate for their games and website. The authorization has to be done by an AAMS-accredited certification body.

The internet licenses which are granted by AAMS will last for 9 years and will enable licensees a gaming portfolio extension from the same provider. The extensions that it can include are,

• Some card games like poker.
• Lotto and related games.
• National pari-mutuel numeric games.
• Games based on sports events and horse races.
• Deferred drawing lotteries and instant drawings.

AAMS license is provided to Italy customers as a sense of security but there are also some downsides to the license. As per non-AAMS.com, a growing number of Italians were searching for casinos that had a license from other bodies, such as Curacao. It shows that not all Italian players are going to be happy with the gambling laws of Italy.

AAMS Offering Player Protection

The AAMS lays down some rules and regulations to protect the players. When a gambler signs up to play at a casino website, they will have to sign a contract and offer certain personal details, such as their name, physical address, and tax code. You might have to provide an identification card to verify all the details you have provided. The details also help in protecting minors under the age of 18.

To secure the consumer funds and information, the AAMS requires all online casinos under it to the AAMS through SOGEI that allows Amministrazione Autonoma Dei Monopoli Di Stato to record, monitor, verify, and tax all bet, stake, and wager, carefully.

Also, it requires gambling websites to comply with AAMS guidelines and SOGEI will check periodically to make sure that these companies are catering to the stringent software requirements.

AAMS takes the Italian players as its main priority. This is the reason it takes all player complaints against gambling operators very seriously. They take the best measures to solve player problems. As a majority of the regulators, the AAMS requests that players try to solve concerns and complaints first directly with the online sports betting or casinos that they are playing at.

In case a player fails to solve the problem with the online casino directly, they might use the Alternative Dispute Resolution Service provided by AAMS to complain directly to the Amministrazione Autonoma Dei Monopoli Di Stato. You have to keep in mind that AAMS might not always respond to your complaints personally. But if they come to discover that an online casino is operating with criminal intent or unfairly, the AAMS might take action to stop the behavior.