Best Betting Sites in Italy

Where to bet safely in Italy and which online bookmakers to join?

The bookmakers listed below are some of the most reputable and preferred among Italian players. See which sites to trust for your betting experience and what welcome bonus you are entitled to after registration.

Best Bookies in Italy Ranked

1. LeoVegas – Our #1 pick for best betting site in Italy
2. Betway – Best bonuses and specials for Italians
3. Bwin – Top-notch sportsbook for Italian punters
4. Pinnacle – Great bookmaker and casino for Italians
5. Rabona – Excellent range of sports markets

Italy’s Top bookmakers

There are many bookmakers in the Italian gambling industry. There are, however, bookmakers that stand taller than the rest. Let’s learn more about them.

LeoVegas

This is one of the world’s most significant betting sites. In Italy, LeoVegas is an online sportsbook that offers fixed odds betting, live dealer games, casino games, and poker and roulette games. The online casino is run by top-notch providers and supports the country’s primary language – Italian.

Betway

This online casino and bookmaker dates back to 2006. The casino at Betway for Italy is safe, transparent, and offers security to its players. The high-quality games are powered by Playtech and include slot games, card, and table games, sportsbook and other betting options. The online casino offers players high payout rates.

Bwin

Not every bookmaker operating with a license in Italy is worth making it to the top list of best-betting sites. However, this is not the case with Bwin bookmaker for Italy. This operator is 100% legit in the country. It offers unique bonus campaigns and some of the best odds payout percentages out there. Be sure to check their betting features and guide – all available in the Italian language on the official site Bwin.it!

Pinnacle

Pinnacle is a sports betting brand with years of industry experience. Strange as it may seem, it does not offer any bonuses for sports or casino. Although that might be a dealbreaker to some players, the majority of bettors are delighted with the competitive odds and high maximum stakes. What’s more, Pinnacle is famous for being the most accurate bookie in Asian handicap markets.

Rabona

Last on our list is a bookmaker that is mostly famous for its casino games in Italy. We refer to Rabona and its iGaming site. Although licensed in Curacao, it provides an Italian version of its site that is fully translated. You can bet on sports and casino games. Also, get in touch with the support team whenever there is an issue that needs taking care of.

What to consider when choosing a betting site in Italy?

There is plenty to consider when you want to select a betting site in Italy.

• Is the bookie licensed?
  The bookie you decide to play at should be licensed and regulated by the State of Italy. You risk fines or jail time when you play at an unlicensed casino.
• The company’s reputation
  The bookie should have a good reputation. The more years a bookie has been in operation, the more reliable it is.
• Supported payment methods
  The most preferred currency is the Euro. The banking methods should be acceptable, allowing players to fund their account using techniques that are convenient to them.
• Games
  The games are subjected to regular audits. They are audited by reputable brands such as BMM Testlabs, eCOGRA and iTech Labs.

Betting in Italy – Trivia

• Currency: Euros
• Population: 60.6 million
• Active Players: Estimate of 1,790,000
• Designated authority: Ministry of Interior for land-based casinos & AAMS
• Regulated Gambling Products: French Roulette, American Roulette, Blackjack, Punto Banco, Craps and Poker, Online Casino games including slots, sports betting
• Types of Operators: Brick-and-mortar casinos, lotteries, bookmakers, foreign-based companies

Did you know that?

• The gambling industry in Italy generated about €9.9 billion in 2017
• Players are exempted from paying taxes
• Casinos in Italy have to offer self-exclusion features to players
• Online gambling sites have to pay a flat tax of 20% on revenue

Gambling in Italy

Italy is located in Western Europe and has legal gambling rights for its citizens. In Italy over 15 cities have gambling facilities and a total of 36 gambling facilities distributed across all those cities. Italy provides gambling in the form of sports betting parlours and casinos. Milan is the largest gambling city in Italy and has a total of 328 slot and video poker machines combined, and ten gambling facilities. In the entire country of Italy, the largest casino is Casino de la Valle- St. Vincent that is located in Saint Vincent. The casino has a total of 600 gaming and video poker machines, 90 table games, and 2 poker tables.

Going back in history, you will note that gambling in Italy has been around for centuries and over the years it has taken many forms. Gambling in Italy goes back to the Roman Empire period when the modern backgammon created by Ludus Duodecim was made famous among the Roman citizens. Through them, the backgammon was introduced to other European countries. In 1638 the first gambling house was opened in Ridotto. It was, however, sanctioned by the government with the aim of controlling gambling in the country. Back then, only rich people could afford to play there because the stakes were quite high.

The games present back then were Bassett and Biribi that resembles the modern-day lottery. Ridotto was closed in 1774, and this resulted in the growth of closed gambling clubs. The private gambling clubs were to be then called casinos since the word “Casino” has an Italian origin. In the 15th century, Baccarat was introduced in Italy. Other games such as Bingo were also of Italian origin. A game called “Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’ Italia” was played by Italians in the 1530s and the game was similar to Bingo.

Is gambling in Italy legal?

According to the Italian legal system, unless gambling or betting activities for money or not are permitted by Italian law, the gambling activities are prohibited. The gambling activities must be authorized and regulated at State level since regions do not have the right to issue regulations about gambling except for a few cases. Therefore, anybody found issuing gambling activities without authorization may be prosecuted as a criminal since the act is illegal. Even though the Italian legal system allows the exercise of gambling activities, there are specific public interests that still need to be protected.

The State also has the power to regulate, limit, and control the exercise of gambling activities in Italy. Gambling is governed by the primary legislation, which is the civil code and specific law provisions and also by the Secondary legislation, which is issued by the national gambling authority. In Italy, games of social or skill are not classified under gambling activities according to Italian law, but games involving chance are regulated. In Italy, land-based and online casinos are treated differently, and the games offered by both are then regulated separately under the specific laws and regulations. For land-based gaming activities, the following games are controlled; slot machines and video-lotteries, pool betting, bingo, lotto, and other lottery games and sports and horse racing.

Before 2006 very few betting operators were allowed to run in Italy. This was because of the strict government regulations such as the Italian National Committee and the National Horse Breeders Enhancement Society. In the same year, there were about 600 betting sites that were prohibited from running, and the Italian gambling industry was investigated by the European Commission. After this, games of skill were permitted to operate in Italy. The Italian market was also opened up to other bookmakers outside Italy but those under the European Union. They however needed to obtain a license from the licensing body AAMS. After this, some of the biggest European betting sites in the world were allowed to operate in Italy such as Bwin, Unibet, LeoVega. They have since been able to attract a large Italian audience and have remained relevant for many years.

For online gambling, games regulated include; pool betting, sports and horse race betting, poker and other card games, slots, roulette, and other card games, online lotteries and betting exchanges.

Do Italian players get restricted by some bookmakers? Why?

Online bookmakers that do not have a license from the AAMS and are not based in the European Union do not meet turnover figures and also uses a high powered software are not allowed to operate in Italy. Also, a bookmaker who does not pay a fee of €350,000 as a means of supporting the AAMS in regulating the gambling market is restricted from offering services to Italians. These bookmakers make a point of limiting Italian players from playing in their gaming sites to avoid penalties.

How much tax do you pay on gambling winnings in Italy?

Players are exempted from paying tax on their winnings. The operators are however obliged to pay fees by the legislation. Online based gambling activities are taxed a flat rate of 20% on all games of skill such as poker tournaments and cash games, casino games, and also bingo. The rate is fixed at 22% for online sports betting. Land-based gambling activity tax rate is at 18% on profits. A tax rate of 6% to 19% is put for video lottery terminals and amusements with prizes and is based on turnover. The gambling tax rates change with time, and the proposal to increase taxes on gambling and other sports betting activities is discussed by the Italian government.

About the gambling market

A large share of the Italian betting market is held by Bet365, which is a British and a world-leading betting company. However, other Italian bookmakers account for the rest of the betting market in Italy. The well-known betting companies in Italy include Planetwin365, Lottomatica, Sisal, and Eurobet. The Italian gambling market is open to all, and therefore, other bookmakers can enjoy the benefits of the market industry. Bwin, Betway and Unibet all cater to Italian players. The Italian gambling market is quite competitive, which is a good thing for bettor since more competition means more competitive prices and odds. The Italian market also grows since betting companies are regularly pumping money in the country to gain a competitive spot for themselves.

The most popular betting features and options in Italy?

• In-play
  There are online casinos that will offer players the in-play betting option. This online bookie includes bet365, which has data on all the upcoming sport and non-sporting events. In-play punters are given the resources they need to play.
• Live Streaming
  Live-streaming is offered to players in Italy for free by some bookie. They include exclusive sports on matches such as tennis, cricket, and football. To cover the live streaming services places are required to log in with their account. Players can get this feature from Bwin and Bet365.
• Cash-out feature
  The cash-out feature allows players to control their bets. Players in Italy can minimize their losses or get profits depending on the game. Some of the bookmakers offering the cash-out functionality are Betway and Unibet.

Available bonuses for Italian players

There are many bookmakers operating legally in Italy’s jurisdiction. To market their companies, bookies are aware that players are often attracted by free money to increase their wagering budgets. In Italy, players can choose from a wide range of promotional bonuses and other special offers. There are a wide range of welcome sign up bonuses on their first deposit and also the first deposit percentage matching gifts. The welcome bonuses are valuable because they allow new players to discover how things are run around the online casino.

Free spins are also offered on slot games; Free bet offers come in the form of real cash. There are other bonuses such as Enhanced ACCAs, Special Price Clubs, and Daily and weekly reload bonuses. There are also Weekday Reloaded Bonuses. Sometimes the terms attached to these offers are not brought up in a clear way or players are excited about the offers been offered by the casinos that they overlook them. It is always essential to go through terms and conditions before signing up in an online bookmaker or casino.

The favourite sports of the Italian bettors

Sports betting in Italy generated double revenue recently. The Italian gaming news agency reported that the revenue doubled during the current financial year. Just like most European countries, Italians love football and when combined with the Italian love for gambling the sport is mostly played. Other sports that are enjoyed by Italians can be classified as:

• Football
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Rugby Union
• Water Polo
• Athletics

Traditional or regional sports include Calcio Fiorentino which is an early form of football, Palla and is a classic street game that is played in Italy streets, Hitball that is an indoor street game.

Are online Casinos popular in the market?

A total gross gambling revenue of €9.9 billion was generated by the Italian gambling industry in 2017. This was, however, lower than expected since the amount generated by the Italian gambling industry in 2016 that was equal to €7.5 billion. The casino gaming revenue contributed 40% of this revenue amount. This goes to show that Italians love sports betting and online casino entertainment forms part of their day to day life. Popular online casino games include Bingo and Baccarat owing to the fact that the two games originated from Italy.

Currency and Preferred payment methods in Italy

The banking methods available for Italian players are quite vast. The vast methods of payment are reliable and trustworthy, and they include international, trusted brands. Italians need to choose from options such as credit or debit cards including Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, Visa Electron, among others. There are also indirect methods of payment that offer guaranteed safety such and also stability. These methods include; Bank Transfers, POLi, PayPal, PostePay, and e-wallet methods such as Skrill and NETeller.

Bookies with mobile apps for Italian customers

The major online casino brands operating in Italy feature mobile sites. There are, however, online casinos that offer mobile app solutions to Italian players, making it very convenient since they can get the apps from the Android Play Store and iStore from iPhone devices. Bet365 is one of the best online casinos that feature mobile apps that allow sports betting through mobile devices. The mobile access method is slick and of good quality. The Bet365 website is fully covered under the mobile app, making it easy for players to access all their favourite sports and online casino games. Other brands that offer mobile apps include Rabona Casino, and Betway online casino.

Final Comment

Italy holds some of the top bookmakers in the world, it is also quite evident that the best betting sites will remain relevant in the Italian market for a very long time into the future. The betting sites with bonus are quite a catch for Italian players and this help in generating revenue for the State. Sports betting in Italy will see the decline of traditional betting shops in Italy.

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