PAYMENT METHODS AND ONLINE CASINOS IN ITALY
Top Casinos and Best Banking Options for Italian Players
Gambling activities in Italy go back to Roman times. For centuries, the Italian nation has enjoyed various gambling activities which have been spreading out not only across the local communities but also all over Europe.
As many countries worldwide, Italy has experienced ups and downs regarding its attitude towards gambling, but the past experiences have contributed to the current rather favourable situation in the gambling scene. Italians are in pursuit of hot, fun casinos and we’ll gladly share our suggestions, spicing them up with the very best payment methods for Italian players to use for both deposit and withdrawals.
If Brazil is the “sleeping giant”, Italy is the motherland of gambling. The opportunities are plentiful and gambling runs in the blood of Italians across the peninsula. Roman legionaries were playing games similar to modern backgammon, whereas Italians today have access to dozens of different games of chance, offline and online. Gambling-related traditions continued over the centuries and gambling houses transitioned into the online world rather smoothly, facing wide acceptance from the Italian audience.
For many, gambling is harmless fun, but Italy also battles problematic gambling addictions as some players love their slot machines a bit too much. This is, of course, something we don’t approve of. Responsible gaming is the only way our recommendations make sense and contribute to the growing online casino community. If you use our advice and suggestions to make responsible bets while depositing real money, you will have the best time at any of the recommended Italian casinos on the web.
Best Italian Online Casinos
Italian casino players are not experiencing any shortage of options, thankfully, when it comes to online websites to play at. They have access to the latest slot machines and some of the most rewarding gambling platforms in Europe. The top Italian online casinos boast excellent bonuses and convenient payment solutions, and if you care to find out more about the best in Italian online gambling stick around for the Italian online casino champions (in our book, at least).
Rolling Slots
18+ | New Customers Only |
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- Impressive live casino
- Great selection of games
18+ | New Customers Only |
T&C Apply
Top Casino Banking Methods in Italy
Some payment methods work better in specific communities. Even though they may not have significant flaws, they may just be best suitable for players in certain countries, while players from other regions benefit from alternative options. In Italy, there is a plethora of banking solutions to choose from, especially if you plan on using them for online gambling. Here’s our take on the top casino banking methods for Italians.
Review & Best Casinos
- State-run and tightly regulated
- Quite low fees
- Positive player feedback
Review & Best Casinos
- High degree of security
- Licensed by Italian government
- Wide acceptance rate
Review & Best Casinos
- Trusted around the world
- Fast casino withdrawals
- Great option for UK, SE, IT, ES
Review & Best Casinos
- Fast casino transactions
- Available around the globe
- 165 supported currencies
Review & Best Casinos
- A leading payment solution
- Maximum security
- Fast & easy casino transactions
Review & Best Casinos
- Fast casino payments
- Available around the globe
- Designed with iGaming focus
Review & Best Casinos
- Available around the globe
- Designed with iGaming focus
- Fast deposits & withdrawals
Review & Best Casinos
- Instant deposits & withdrawals
- Safe and reliable e-Wallet
- Widely accepted at casinos
Review & Best Casinos
- Supports 30+ cryptocurrencies
- No transaction fees
- Enables crypto to fiat conversion
Laws and Regulations on Online Gambling in Italy?
The gambling industry in Italy has seen massive growth in recent years, especially in the online market. At one point, Italian legislation was very stringent, prohibiting even legitimate European gambling operators to offer their online services to Italian punters. Due to this practice, Italian authorities entered a problematic situation with the European Commission. The EC argued that the Italian approach is not compatible with the principles of the EEC Treaty concerning the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide cross-border services.
In 2006, the Italian online gambling market gradually started to experience liberalisation. In 2009, amendments were made to the gambling law and the new law came into power in 2010, allowing foreign gambling operators to launch online real money games. However, before offering their gambling services to Italian bettors, these operators would need to obtain an Italian license. The Italian gaming authority that issues licenses is the AAMS (Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato – Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies). Websites that hold an Italian license have to prove that they maintain responsible gambling partnerships and complete regular fairness audits.
The Italian Criminal law establishes a clear difference between games of skill and games of luck. Lotteries, sports betting and some other activities are legal and regulated. Gambling can be offered and enjoyed, only if it is approved by the state. Companies situated in the European Economic Area are favoured for getting licenses. There are hundreds of online gambling operators currently running in the Italian online market.
Italian casinos are regulated by the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), meaning all legal casinos are ADM/AAMS certified. In order to receive this certification, online casinos in Italy must pass a series of strict evaluations and they also need to make a significant financial investment.
There is an absolute ban on the advertising of games and bets including sponsorships and forms of indirect advertising, according to the Decree-Law No. 87 of 2018, also known as the “Decreto Dignità”. Excluded from the prohibition are national lotteries.
AGCOM, the Italian communications regulator, recently issued its first sanction against an operator for violating the advertising ban. In October 2019, new measures for combating unlicensed gambling, including payment blocking measures, entered into effect. In 2020, a tax of 0.5% on turnover on all bets on sporting events (virtual sports, too) was introduced and should remain valid until the end of 2021.
Italian Market Updates
- December 2021: Italian authorities are preparing a draft law on a 2023 licensing tender process that should reduce the number of available online gambling licenses to 40.
Can Casinos That Accept Italian Players Be Trusted?
If you register at an online casino that holds an Italian license, you will know it will sustain the utmost safety measures and there will be no trust issues between you as a player and the operator/provider of the games on offer. Safety and protection is also reflected in the eCOGRA certificate which, if available, can be seen at the bottom of the homepage of the casino.
Naturally, you are looking for a safe, reputable online casino that accepts customers from Italy. With a number of suspicious casino sites out there, it is good to be cautious, yet we can assure you that all the websites featured on CasinoBankingMethods.com have already been verified as legitimate, safe, secure and trustworthy.
Other than being properly licensed and regulated by the AASM, these sites use a minimum of 128-Bit digital SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption to protect customer personal and financial data, not to mention how they take responsible gaming very seriously and employ various measures against gambling addiction and underage gambling.
Without these aspects covered, no casino can expect to receive a high rating anywhere. CBM rates the safety of casino sites at the very beginning of the process and only when the casino passes with flying colours, we proceed to evaluate its characteristics further.
Best Casino Bonuses for Italian Players
Italians are known to be warm and welcoming people, which is why plenty of Italian online casinos want to respond in a similar fashion. You can find many casinos online prepared to give you a warm welcome with a generous new player bonus if you sign up from Italy. The fun doesn’t have to stop there, as there are plenty of other options to consider making use of – from no deposit bonuses and cashback deals to free spins and VIP perks.
Winz.io
Free Spins
SLOTS
None
Ongoing
€20
No
35% Instant Cashback
Cashback
Not required
10x
Ongoing
$10
No maximum
Neon 54
Cashback
Not Needed
1x
Ongoing
€20
Nomini
Cashback
Not needed
1x
Ongoing
€50
No maximum
Up to 15% Daily Cashback
Cashback
High Roller
Not needed
15x
Ongoing
€100
€30,000
20 Free Spins No Deposit
No Deposit
Not needed
40xB
Ongoing
Not needed
€100
61 Free Spins on Slot of the Month
Free Spins
MONTH
30x
Ongoing
$20
No maximum
Slotland
Deposit
WELCOME1
25x B
Ongoing
$25
$100 per code
Local Payment Methods to Consider
While many payment providers often go global, there are some banking processors that prefer a more localised, personalised approach. There is nothing wrong with using international payment methods to top up your online casino account if you with the methods of your choosing to be convenient and affordable. However, CBM believes that every market has a choice, humble or wide, of local methods for players to consider.
Statistics indicate that Italy is the fourth biggest e-commerce market in Europe, so Italians have grown fairly accustomed to paying online for their goods and services. They are found to use mostly, prepaid cards, mobile payment solutions and electronic wallets for both e-commerce and online gambling.
Postepay (co-branded with Visa) is the most popular deposit option, yet there aren’t many online casinos supporting this option, although there are selected websites accepting Postepay at this point. This is a payment method invented specifically for Italians to make online payments and it is run by the Italian postal office. CartaSi is just as exclusive to the Italian market as Postepay, and combines the prepaid card mechanism with the user’s Skrill account. Snaipay and OnShop are also used to make payments to gambling operators in Italy.
Another leading choice for Italian players is PayPal, which isn’t precisely Italian-based, but certainly is prevalent in large European markets. PayPal online casinos are not hard to come by and the method is easy to use, rather cheap and much faster than bank transactions.
Depositing with EUR Currency
Gambling can’t be carried out without depositing money, so it’s worth comparing the availability of payment options and currencies. With Italy-friendly casinos operating from the European Economic Area, there shouldn’t be any trouble finding the Euro as the main currency. Every player gets to choose a preferred currency upon registration or first deposit, so it makes perfect sense for Italian players to deposit in Euros. Why?
Well, for one, depositing in Euros comes naturally. One does all its shopping and payments in EUR, why not gamble online in EUR as well? Since the Euro is a domestic currency, the player will not have to suffer any conversion costs when making a deposit or submitting a withdrawal. Nowadays, it may be easy to exchange currencies online, but it will cost you. It is best to avoid additional fees of that nature. Ultimately, being able to keep a gambling bank in Euros will make it quite simple for you to manage your spending, not having to calculate over and over every conversion.
Fun Facts
- The very word “casino” is of Italian origins. “Casa” means “house” in Italian, while it can also refer to a summer house, or social club. A place to relax. So, the term “casino” is derived from this. It’s possible that organised gambling started in Venice around 1638.
- In 2017, Italian online players wagered a total of 27 billion euros. In 2019, this figure peaked at over 36 billion euros.
- While Italy boasts hundreds of online casinos, it has only a few land-based casinos. Surprisingly, none of them is based in Rome. Casino de la Vallee, located in St. Vincent, is the largest land-based casino in Italy with over 500 slot machines and around 90 game tables.
- The Trevi Fountain is one of the oldest water sources in Rome. In 1730 Pope Clemens XII held a contest to design a new fountain. Many important architects participated, but in the end Nicola Salvi won the rights to design the fountain. Salvi’s project for the fountain was the least expensive, so the pope approved the financing of the works and used the third extraction of the lotto game to pay for it. In other words, the money earned from the reintroduction of the lotto in Rome financed the Trevi Fountain! Gambling is, in a way, responsible for its existence.
- The university city of Pavia was identified in 2013 as Italy’s “capital of gambling”, with a video or slot gambling machine for every 104 inhabitants.
- The history of gambling in Italy dates back to the Roman Empire with a game called Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum, which has today evolved into Backgammon.
FAQ
What is the best online casino for Italian players?
The answer to this depends on what you are looking for in an online casino. If it holds a license from the AAMS, has a large and varied collection of games, high-quality customer support, efficient and secure banking methods and a generous welcome bonus, it is usually a great pick.
Is it legal to play in online casinos from Italy?
Gambling was made legal in Italy in 2006 and today Italians can enjoy gambling online without any problems with the law. There are a number of fantastic online casinos that have been vetted and reviewed, which are, of course, fully licensed and regulated by the Italian authority.
What is the minimum age limit to gamble online in Italy?
The legal gambling age in Italy is 18 years old. It is strictly forbidden for anyone under the age of 18 to take part in any gambling activities, online or otherwise.
Does an online gambling company need to be established in Italy to apply for an Italian gambling license?
No, license holders, their servers and personnel can be located in any country of the European Economic Area. Companies from the UK or Gibraltar are able to apply for an Italian remote gaming license, but might be obliged to relocate to an EU country as a consequence of the Brexit.
Are online gambling winnings taxable in Italy?
According to the government’s 2020 fiscal budget, it is planned to impose a new 12% tax on gamblers’ winnings under €500. Winnings over this amount will suffer a progressively growing rate that will increase along with the value of those winnings until it reaches the absolute maximum of 23%. Large lottery jackpots (over €100m) are taxed 23%.
Is there an online casino that is available in Italian?
Surely. If an online casino is multilingual and available in Italian, when you join it should automatically switch to its Italian version. If not, look for the language menu to switch manually.