How to direct traffic to betting and gambling in Italy?

Publication date: 12 Nov 2024

Italy is one of the world’s most successful and active gambling markets.  All kinds of online casinos and betting games are allowed here, which is enjoyed by local players. In a new report on 3S.INFO, we examine how to drive online betting and gambling traffic in Italy.

How is gambling regulated in Italy?

The regulator is the Customs and Monopolies Agency (Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli / ADM). It reports to the Ministry for the Autonomy of State Monopolies (The Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato / AAMS).

There is no single law in Italy that regulates the organization of gambling on the territory of the country. There are various national laws and regulations. 

A complete list of Italian gambling laws, regulations and acts can be found on the ADM website.

What kind of gambling is allowed in Italy?

The law of August 9, 2023 no. 111 “Guidelines and criteria for the reorganization of the current regulations on public gambling” deserves special attention. This document marks the beginning of the reform of gambling legislation in Italy. The new rules for the Italian betting and gambling promotion should come into force at the end of 2024. 

Wondering what is happening in other European gaming markets?

• The new French gambling legislation started in 2019. Why is it effective to send traffic to betting and gambling in France now?
• Swedish gambling market is actively developing! Read in the review what successes have been achieved in Sweden to promote casinos and bookmakers! 

What will be new in the Italian regulation of online casinos and bookmakers from 2025? 

• A total of 50 new online gambling licenses will be issued. 
• Operators will have to obtain a new license: worth €7 million, valid for 9 years.  In 2024, the gambling license in Italy costs €32 thousand, for sports betting – €18 thousand. 
• An operator with an Italian gaming license can have only 1 single website with an Italian top-level domain name. 
• A special annual fee of 3% of the gross gaming revenue less gambling taxes is paid from each license. 
• In order to operate remotely (online), operators must meet the technical requirements and provide a secure connection to the state-owned IT service provider, Sogei.
• All IT infrastructure, including cloud solutions, must be hosted within the European Economic Area (EEA).
• Operators must use mandatory self-exclusion tools, self-restriction options and features. Operators must invest 0.2% of GGR in responsible gaming campaigns. 

In October 2024, there are over 70 companies on the list of legal operators authorized to operate online in Italy. World-renowned companies Admiralbet, Betfair, Betway, Spincasino, Bwin, 1xBet, Youbet, Bet365, Pinnacle, Unibet, Evobet, 888casino, Marathonbet operate here. The licenses expire on December 31, 2024.

After the new law comes into force, only 50 operators will remain on the market. It is not yet known how the selection will be made. 

• All legal Italian bookmakers will have to place their sites under the .it domain.
• Currently, an operator can work under different brands and on several sites. 
• The legislation sets the win percentage for each gambling type: 80-90%. 

How are illegal gambling sites blocked in Italy? 

The blocking of illegal online casinos and bookmakers in Italy is carried out in accordance with the law of December 27, 2006, no. 296 “Regulations for the formation of the annual and multi-year state budget” and the AAMS regulation no. 1034/CGV (dated January 2, 2007).

By law, the regulator has the right to block any detected website by sending a request to the ISP. 

The list of “banned unauthorized gambling sites” is also updated monthly on the regulator’s website.  

How much money is made in the Italian gambling market? 

Gambling tax in Italy is 20% for online casinos, 11% for other types of games and 4% for sports betting.

According to Spill Media, total online gambling revenue has grown steadily from €1 billion in 2010 to €4.5 billion in 2023 (of which €2 billion is GGR from Italy’s online casinos and €1.4 billion from online betting), reflecting the steady growth and expansion of the online gambling market. 

The European Betting and Gaming Association (EGBA), published in October 2023, estimated the annual revenue of the Italian online gambling black market at around €1 billion.

According to a report by La Gazzetta dello Sport, gamblers in Italy place more than €25 billion worth of bets on the black market each year, with 75% of that (€18.5 billion) spent online.

How can gambling and betting be promoted in Italy? 

In 2019, a ban on all forms of gambling and betting advertising was introduced (Decreto Dignità). This decree prohibits any marketing of gambling on TV, radio, press and online. 

“The significant size of the online black market in Italy is worrying. However, this is not surprising given that Italy has one of the strictest advertising regimes in Europe for licensed gambling companies. Without sufficient advertising, Italians have no real way to distinguish between a gambling site that is licensed in Italy and applies national consumer protection rules, and one that does not. The government needs to review its gambling advertising rules so that Italian citizens can be well informed about licensed sites in the country,” said Martin Heyer, Secretary General of the European Betting and Gambling Association (EGBA).

How to attract players from Italy to casino and bookmaker sites?

Italy is located in Southern Europe, the population (at the beginning of 2024 is 58.79 million people. 

Major cities: the capital Rome (4.33 million inhabitants). Other major cities are Milan (3.16 million inhabitants), Naples (2.18 million inhabitants), Turin (1.8 million inhabitants), Florence (712 thousand inhabitants), Venice (258 thousand inhabitants). 

The official language is Italian. In addition, 35% of the population speaks English and 16% French. 

The official currency is the Euro. 

The main religion: Roman Catholic Church, about 80% of the population consider themselves Catholics. 

Italy is on the list of EU countries without a minimum wage. This issue is regulated by collective bargaining agreements. The average wage in Italy varies according to the region of residence and can range from €2,625 to €3,660 per month. 

According to DataReportal, there were 51.56 million registered internet users in Italy in January 2024. At the beginning of 2024, the country’s internet penetration rate was 87.7% of the total population.

In the summer of 2024, Spill Media published a study on the segmentation of Italian gamblers. 

Who bets and plays in casinos in Italy?

Which sports are popular in Italy?

1. Football is the most popular sport played in Italy. Serie A and B: The top division of Italian football, Serie A, includes famous teams such as Juventus, Inter, Milan, Roma, and Napoli. Serie B is the second most important league, from which the best teams can advance to Serie A. Coppa Italia: A national cup tournament featuring teams from different divisions. The Italian national football team (nicknamed the Squadra Azzurra) has a rich history and has won the World Cup and European Championship several times – four World Cup victories and two EURO victories. You can easily follow the schedule of football matches and other important events with the Sporting Events Calendar on 3S.INFO. 
2. Cycling is also very popular in Italy. The Giro d’Italia is one of the most prestigious multi-day cycling races in the world, attracting outstanding cyclists from all over the world. 
3. “Formula 1: The Italian Ferrari team is one of the most successful and popular teams in the history of the competition. The Italian Grand Prix, held at the Monza circuit, is one of the oldest and most prestigious events in the motor racing series. 
4. Motorcycle racing is also popular in Italy. Italian rider Valentino Rossi has had great success in the MotoGP. 
5. Basketball occupies an important place in Italian sports culture. The Lega Basket Serie A is the top division of Italian basketball, where the famous teams Olimpia Milano and Virtus Bologna compete. National Team: The Italian national basketball team regularly participates in international competitions, including the World and European Championships. 
6. The most important men’s volleyball championship, in which the best Italian clubs participate, is the SuperLega. There is also a very developed women’s volleyball league that attracts many fans and supporters. 
7. A sport that is becoming increasingly popular among Italians is tennis. Italy hosts several major tournaments, including the Italian Open (Internazionali BNL d’Italia), held annually in May on the clay courts of the Foro Italico complex in Rome. 
8. According to Statcounter, Italy was one of the top 10 esports markets in the world in terms of revenue in 2022. As of 2023, Riccardo Romiti, who plays under the alias Reynor, was the most successful esports player in Italy. Reynor is best known for his skills in StarCraft II, which was also the leading esports game in Italy in terms of prize money won. The number of gamers in Italy in 2023 is 34.94 million, of which 50% are women. 

What to consider when generating creatives for gambling and betting in Italy?

In order to effectively drive traffic to gambling and betting in Italy, you need to consider the specifics of the local audience when generating creative. 

1. San Remo, St. Vincent, Campione d’Italia, Venice are the four main regions where gambling establishments are allowed. Moreover, Campione Casino is one of the oldest casinos in the world! Take advantage of the views of the offline casinos and their chic interiors. 
2. Italians are traditionally considered a temperamental and emotional people. They are attracted to bright colors and images, images of money, wealth and success. 
3. Italy’s official holidays include New Year’s Day (January 1), Liberation Day (April 25), Labor Day (May 1), Christmas (December 25).  National holidays include Proclamation Day (first Sunday in June), National Unity and Armed Forces Day (November 4 – working day.) Religious holidays include Baptism (January 6), Easter Sunday and Easter Monday (the day after Easter), Assumption – “Ferragosto” (August 15), St. Stephen’s Day (December 26).  During Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Ferragosto (July-August), many businesses close for the holidays. Some businesses close for two weeks from Christmas to Epiphany and for two weeks during the celebration of the Dormition of the Mother of God.  

What payment methods are accepted in Italy?

Common payment methods in Italy: Bank cards (Bankomat, Visa, Maestro, American Express), bank transfers, digital wallets PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Amazon Pay, Google Pay. 

Mobile operators in Italy: Vodafone Italy, Wind Tre, Tessellis, Wind, Iliad, Telecom Italia Sparkle, Ho Mobile, TIM, Fastweb, CoopVoce. 

Cryptocurrency is legal and authorized for use in Italy. 

Which traffic sources are popular in Italy?

According to StatCounter (for September 2023 – September 2024), the most popular in Italy are 

• Social networks: Facebook* – 74.51%, Instagram* – 11.37%, Pinterest – 5.83%, YouTube – 3.34%, Twitter – 2.9%, Reddit – 0.94%. 
• Search engines: Google (93.25%), Bing (4.18%), Yahoo! – 1.49%, DuckDuckGo – 0.39%, YANDEX – 0.37%, Ecosia – 0.23%. 
• Most popular browsers: Chrome – 65.58%, Safari – 17.21%, Firefox – 6.26%, Edge – 5.05%, Samsung Internet – 3.26%, Opera – 1.58%. 
• Popularity of operating systems: Android (69.36%), iOS (30.16%), Samsung (0.43%), Windows (0.03%), Linux (0.01%).

*Facebook and Instagram services are blocked in Russia by court order. 

In Italy, mobile (51.75%) and desktop (46.33%) are almost equally popular. At the same time, the prevalence of mobile devices: Apple (27.6.16%), Samsung (22.91%), Xiaomi (11.81%), Oppo (5.81%). 

Now the online betting and gambling market in Italy is one of the most lucrative in the world. Despite the strict rules on gambling advertising, locals are actively playing in casinos and betting on sports. But very soon a new law will come into force and it is not yet clear how it will affect the situation. So, it’s a good time to direct traffic! The 3SNET network has prepared the best offers, where quality Italian traffic is expected. Join and choose!