The rise of online gaming in Europe has increased the number of players, and a variety of companies are competing for an increasingly larger market share. The desire to gamble is undoubtedly a significant component of the problem, but it is not the only factor contributing to it.
The EU’s ongoing liberalization of gambling laws is largely to blame for the rise in popularity of online gambling, also known as iGaming by those in the industry. Online casinos are thriving throughout the European Union as governments relax their strict regulation of the industry. This establishment offers slot machines, table games such as blackjack and poker, lotteries, and even digital scratch cards.
Italy has been at the forefront of online gaming industry developments
It is one of the countries that began liberalizing online gambling before the others, making it a pioneer in this field. Following an investigation by the European Commission into the fact that despite being legalized and certified, foreign operators were not permitted to do business in the country, the first steps toward granting permits to online games were taken in 2006. This came after an investigation into the problem in 2006.
As a result of the European Commission’s new participation, there was further liberalization in 2010. Previously, the state had blocked international websites that were authorized to sell their services to Italian users. As a result, the European Commission became involved.
Since then, foreign casinos and betting operators have been permitted to offer a wide range of games to Italian gamblers. However, to do so, they must first obtain a license from the AAMS (Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies), Italy’s primary gambling regulatory body. To be eligible for the license, a company must meet several requirements, including demonstrating that it has generated at least € 1,500,000 in revenue over the previous two years and making a € 350,000 payment to the regulating body.
The history and evolution of gambling in Italy Gambling hashave a long history in these areas, dating back to Roman times, and it has been well documented. The Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum is a card game that is thought to be one of the first games ever played on the peninsula. This game, whose rules have sadly been lost to the sands of time but are thought to be comparable to backgammon, has gained widespread popularity among the legionaries, who are also responsible for spreading it to other parts of Europe.
Ridotto was the name given to the first gaming establishment in Italy, which opened in 1638 in Venice. In reality, it was located in a wing of Palazzo Dandolo, close to the church of San Moisé. The Venetian government renovated the wing so that it could operate a government-sponsored gambling establishment.
This was done to gain more control over where and how people gambled. The “Ridotto” casino is currently Europe’s first genuine and legitimate gambling establishment. It was clear that this was not the only place where residents could gamble, as there were numerous other illegal gambling establishments. At some point, the term “casino,” which has survived to the present day and has its origins in Italian, came to be used to refer to these establishments. Biribi and Bassett were the first games to gain widespread popularity. People bet on one of 70 numbers in Biribi, a lottery-style game in which the operator drew a number from a hat while the numbers were being drawn. Those who made the most accurate predictions will win.
Bassett was a card game that combined elements of blackjack, poker, and gin rummy and allowed players to win up to sixty times their initial wager. Only aristocrats were permitted to bet during the time of “Ridotto” due to the high stakes and strict dress requirements. Because of the widespread availability of online gambling and the government’s relaxation of restrictions on those permitted to provide it, virtually anyone can now participate.
Given the country’s long and illustrious history with the pastime, as well as the recent passage of laws making it legal for foreign companies to provide games to Italian gamblers, it should come as no surprise that online gambling has taken off in Italy. There are approximately 200 different websites that offer a variety of games, such as slots, bingo, and other activities. Furthermore, new businesses are entering the Italian market at an increasing rate daily.
Given the level of enthusiasm that Italians have for gambling, it is easy to see why iGaming companies find the Italian market so appealing, and why it is growing at such a rapid pace. Indeed, industry statistics show that the gambling market in Italy has grown by a factor of two over the previous decade.
In 2018, revenue reached a staggering € 101.8 billion, more than doubling the size of the market in 2008, when total turnover was € 47.5 billion. Statistics support the notion that gambling is popular among Italians, with approximately 28 percent of adults in the country admitting to participating in gambling activities at least occasionally. The reasons for this are as follows: A large number of new businesses have entered the market over the last few months. From game developers to various vendors and operators,
Furthermore, they signed a deal with E-Play24, a major Italian operator, just one month ago. According to the terms of this agreement, bettors in Italy will have access not only to the company’s direct products but also to titles produced by a variety of third-party studios that the company integrates into its 3PI platform. They are far from the only ones……to enter the market, as Green Tube recently did, signing a deal with E-Play24 to improve its market position.
Green Tube is a subsidiary of the Austrian conglomerate Novomatic, a well-known manufacturer of gambling games and other items that operates both online and offline. Green Tube was established in 1997. In addition to the previously mentioned PlanetWin365, Evolution Gaming was recently added to the package. Evolution’s live casino products are what have made the company famous. Genuine dealers stream in from a studio directly into the homes of gamblers all over the world in these live casino offerings.
Betflag has a strong presence in the Italian market, and two of the most well-known game developers, Playson and Habanero, have signed content distribution agreements with the company to make their games available in Italy. The market has performed well over the last decade, and it appears that this trend will continue in the future. Because there are more people gambling and a higher turnover, the Italian gaming scene is likely to remain appealing to firms for a long time.
