Top Casinos and Best Banking Options for Italian Players

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.

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.

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.

Gambling laws in Italy are uniform and apply on a national level. However, a few regions in the country have an autonomous status and unique gambling landscapes. Campione D’Italia is an example, the region where Casino di Campione was located.

Once the largest casino in Europe, Casino di Campione declared bankruptcy and closed in 2018. Statistical data from 2020 indicate that Lombardy, Campania, and Lazio stand out as the most profitable gambling areas in modern Italy. Let’s look at some of the most impressive land-based Italian casinos.

Casino di Venezia Ca’ Vendramin Calergi

The 15^th-century Ca’ Loredan Vendramin Calergi palace on the Grand Canal in Venice is home to Venice Casino, aka Casinò di Venezia. If Las Vegas casinos are over the top for you, Casinò di Venezia offers an entirely different décor. The venue opened in 1638 as a theatre, with gambling offered in plays’ intermissions. The famous German composer Richard Wagner stayed in the palace from 1858 until he died in 1883. Today, a museum is dedicated to him in the same facility and a restaurant bearing the name The Wagner.

The casino is open all year round, except on the 24^th and the 25^th of December. Patrons can play slots and table games from 20:15 – 03:15 on Fridays and Saturdays, whereas the Sunday schedule is from 19:00 – 02:00. Given the glamorous atmosphere, a dress code is to be expected. However, men can dress casually, but not in beachwear. Jackets are required in the VIP area after 8.30 pm.

Available games include over 600 slot machines and dozens of tables with dealers. Fair Roulette, Chemin de Fer, French Roulette, and Punto Banco are some of the games on offer. Of course, blackjack and poker are also popular among Venetians and tourists coming to Casino di Venezia Ca’ Vendramin Calergi.

Casino de la Vallee

Casino de la Vallée is a perfect weekend getaway. It is surrounded by Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Cervino and Gran Paradiso, four of the highest mountains in Europe. Make no mistake, this is an upscale casino with luxury hotels, restaurants and a spa. In addition, the casino floor spans nearly 43,000 square feet.

The casino in Saint-Vincent opened in 1947 and remains one of Europe’s most praised gambling houses. Visitors can enjoy the following games:

• Craps
• Blackjack
• American Roulette
• French Roulette
• English Roulette
• Caribbean Poker
• Baccarat
• Chemin de Fer
• Ultimate Texas Hold’Em
• Slots & Jackpots

Casinò de la Vallée di Saint-Vincent is open every day from 10 am. A valid identity document is necessary to enter the venue, and only 18+ are allowed. The dress code is seemly dressed, with men required to wear long trousers in the room Privè on the 1^st floor.

The main tourist attractions of the Aosta Valley are all nearby, so Saint-Vincent casino visitors can gamble and enjoy the surroundings. The five-star Grand Hôtel Billia is one of the best accommodations available, offering a swimming pool and wellness.

Casino Sanremo

Situated in a majestic building in the city of flowers and festivals, the Sanremo Casino boasts a long history. The venue opened in 1905, officially named Casinò Municipale di Sanremo. When in town, you can’t miss the gambling and entertainment complex with 450+ slots and classic table games like Baccarat, Punto Banco, Blackjack and Texas Hold’em and Omaha Poker. It is surely a jewel of the Ligurian Riviera.

Casinò Sanremo is always open, although there is a schedule concerning specific games. For example, the slot machine room opening hours are from 10:00 – 02:30, Sunday through Thursday. The hours are prolonged on Fridays and Saturdays. Traditional games are available in the afternoon and evening. Dressing smart-casual is appropriate, whereas a formal jacket is needed to enter Private Rooms.

Casino di Venezia Ca’Noghera

The Ca’Noghera Casino is located in Venice, five minutes away from the Marco Polo Airport. It is a perfect option for players who prefer the American style and wish to feel like they are in Vegas. Ca’ Noghera opened in 1999, spanning over 6,450 square feet of gaming space.

The venue houses over 550 slot machines and around two dozen tables where patrons can play:

• Fair Roulette
• Blackjack
• Chemin de Fer
• Caribbean Poker
• Ultimate Poker
• Baccarat
• French Roulette

Casino di Venezia Ca’Noghera offers a café, a restaurant, and an open-air terrace. Access to games is restricted to adults who carry valid IDs.

Casinò Municipale di Campione d’Italia

Casinò di Campione is the largest casino in Europe and one of the oldest in all of Italy. The venue is located on the shores of Lake Lugano, and it has been operational since 1917. The Municipal Casino declared bankruptcy after the economic crisis in 2018 and remained inactive for three years. It officially reopened in January 2022.

The huge casino measures slightly under 600,000 square feet and features a luxurious interior. There are more tables available here than in any other casino in Italy – 50+ tables hosting poker, blackjack, and roulette. Games like Trente et Quarante and Chemin de Fer are also very popular, as well as poker variants Caribbean Stud, Russian Poker, Texas Hold’Em, and Ultimate Texas Hold’Em.

There are 770+ slots on the casino floor, with a selected portion separated in a smoker-friendly room. Leading software providers like Novomatic are behind the machines at the Municipal Casino. While the casino itself doesn’t provide accommodation, you can find it in close proximity. For example, Hotel Admiral, The View Lugano and the Hotel Atlantico are nearby. The casino does have a snack bar and a restaurant seating up to 200 people. Casinò di Campione adopts a smart-casual dress code.