In-person and online sports betting are legal in Italy for fans 18 and older. Strong consumer protection regulations and a competitive licensing process make the Italy online sports betting market favorable for customers, who have no shortage of sportsbooks to choose from.
The Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (Customs and Monopolies Agency or ADM) regulates the industry and has issued licenses to dozens of Italian betting sites. In addition to sports betting, ADM regulates online horse racing betting, casinos, poker sites, lottery games, and bingo.
Best Italian Betting Sites
Italian sports betting laws allow domestic and foreign companies that meet specific minimum qualifications to apply for licenses.
The current lineup of licensed Italy sports betting sites includes most of the world’s most prominent sportsbook brands. Major international operators such as Bet365, Unibet, 888 Sport, Betway, and Bwin hold Italy sports betting licenses.
Readers can visit the ADM website here for a complete list of licensed Italy betting sites.
Bet365 Italy
- Visit now: bet365.it
- Read more: Bet365 Italy
Bet365 stands out for its expansive Italian sports betting markets, particularly football. Customers will find hundreds of pregame and in-play Serie A betting markets, plus more for Serie B, Serie C, Serie D, Campionato Primavera 1 & 2, UEFA, and many international leagues worldwide.
Additional Bet365 Italy markets span a world of sports, including tennis, basketball, rugby, volleyball, Formula 1, other motorsports, and much more. The betting options for individual matches are numerous, allowing bettors to drill down to highly specific types of wagers ranging from who will win to player props.
In short, Bet365 Italy boasts the country’s most comprehensive betting catalog. Equally important, Bet365’s prominent position in the international sports betting market gives it the resources it needs to post low-commission lines despite Italy’s high-tax environment.
Other Bet365 highlights include daily Italian betting bonuses and promotions, live sports broadcasts, real-money casino games, and an integrated online poker room.
- Is Bet365 licensed in Italy: Yes
- Does Bet365 support EUR deposits: Yes
- Does Bet365 support the Italian language: Yes
Bet365 Italy Deposit Methods
All Bet365 Italian deposit methods except wire transfers instantly credit customers’ accounts. Wire transfers take 2-10 business days but offer the advantage of significantly higher deposit limits for no additional charge.
Bet365 processes all deposits for free, although some payment processors may charge fees independent of Bet365. For example, some banks assess a flat fee on all wire transfers.
- *Credit cards: €5 to €40,000
- Debit cards: €5 to €40,000
- PayPal: €30 to €8,000
- Paysafecard: €5 to €1,000
- **Apple Pay: €5 to €5,000
- Skrill: €5 to €35,000
- Skrill 1-Tap: €5 to €10,000
- Neteller: €15 to €37,500
- Wire Transfer: €100 to €150,000
*Visa, Mastercard, and Maestro accepted
**Only available when depositing through the Bet365 Italy app for iOS on iPhone and iPad devices.
22Bet Italy
- Visit now: 22bet.com
- Read more: 22Bet Italy
22Bet is headquartered and licensed in Estonia, but it does not hold an Italy online sports betting license. However, that gives it some advantages other online sportsbooks lack.
Most notably, 22Bet Italy isn’t subject to the same sky-high taxes levied on licensed betting sites. As a result, 22Bet has the breathing room to offer frequent promotions and lines with steeply reduced commissions.
The downside is that 22Bet redirects users to alternative domains due to Italian internet blocking policies, which can be confusing and somewhat alarming for security-conscious bettors. The best way to be sure you’re at an official 22Bet domain is to visit the website using the links on this page.
Like Bet365, 22Bet Italy posts many football betting markets each day. However, 22Bet offers even more betting options per match than Bet365. For example, 22Bet sometimes offers 1300+ individual markets for higher-level football matchups – and that’s not a typo.
- Is 22Bet licensed in Italy: No
- Does 22Bet support EUR deposits: Yes
- Does 22Bet support the Italian language: Yes
- 22Bet Italy deposit methods: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club, Jeton Wallet, Paysafecard, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies.
Italy Sports Betting Laws
Italian bettors enjoy considerable freedom when it comes to sports and horse racing betting. Current laws permit real money online sports betting, in-person wagering at approved locations, and pari-mutuel horse racing betting.
All Italian betting sites and retail venues operate under licenses from Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM) and may accept customers 18 or older. ADM is Italy’s only gambling regulator, covering everything from sports betting to online casinos and lottery games.
Online bookmakers that offer sports betting in Italy without licenses are subject to ADM’s aggressive internet-blocking policy. At last count, the Italy online betting blacklist contained nearly 10,000 domains operated by illegal sportsbooks, casinos, and poker sites.
Operators licensed in any EEA member nation may apply for Italy online sports betting licenses if they meet the following requirements:
- Revenues of at least €1.5 million over the last two years
- Not the subject of a bankruptcy, criminal proceedings, or delinquent in tax obligations
- Any key individuals associated with the company have not been convicted of a serious crime, negligence, bad faith execution of their duties, or serious errors in their professional activities
In addition, licensed Italian betting sites must comply with a long list of regulations related to technical operating standards, account security, responsible gambling, anti-money laundering provisions, financial controls, and more.
How Italy Legalized Online Sports Betting
Italy began modernizing its online sports betting laws in 2006 in response to a European Commission investigation prompted by a complaint lodged three years earlier.
Online sports betting was legal in Italy at the time of the initial complaint, but the government maintained tight control over the industry. Only the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and National Horse Breeders Enhancement Society (UNIRE) were authorized to offer online sports betting and gambling in Italy.
Furthermore, the government used internet censorship to block access to all other online betting sites in Italy, including legitimate operators licensed in other European Union countries.
The European Commission investigated Italy’s sports betting laws and determined they violated the EC Treaty’s free movement of services guarantee.
As an EC press release noted, a “Member State cannot invoke the need to restrict its citizens’ access to [online betting sites headquartered in other Member States] if at the same time it incites and encourages them to participate in games of chance or betting offered by national operators or a monopoly.”
While the EC investigation was ongoing, Italy introduced new sports betting regulations and began the process of opening its market to international operators via Ministerial Decree 111 of 1 March 2006. The decree regulates Italian betting sites and online betting exchanges to this day, although the government has updated its laws several times since.
In 2009, Italy issued another decree authorizing online sports betting and informed the European Commission that it had amended its laws to open the market to other European operators. The EC closed its legal cases as a result, and the first Italian betting sites headquartered elsewhere received licenses shortly thereafter.
During this time, Italy legalized and regulated multiple forms of online gambling and gave the newly-established Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS). Later, Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM) assumed control over regulating online sports betting in Italy.
In addition to complying with all relevant regulations, licensed Italian betting apps and websites must connect to a central system that grants ADM access to the records of every wager placed by customers. All Italian sports betting sites pay a one-time €350,000 licensing fee when approved for licenses.
Online betting brands incorporated in Italy pay a corporate tax of 27.5%. Depending on their regional location, Italy-based sportsbooks pay an additional state tax of 2% to 5%.
Types of Legal Online Betting in Italy
These are the types of legal online betting markets currently available in Italy:
- Sports betting
- Esports betting
- Pari-mutuel horse racing betting
- Exchange betting
- Poker
- Casino games
- Bingo
- Skill games
Popular Italian Betting Markets
As one would expect from a country in love with the sport, Serie A and soccer in general is one of Italy’s most wagered-on sports. And of course, Italians don’t just wager on local leagues but also foreign professional leagues such as the English Premier League and the Spanish La Liga. Every year, Italians bet upwards of €12 billion on football.
In 2016, the ADM approved betting on eSports events such as League of Legends and Dota 2. The ADM first authorized local sports betting operator SNAI to offer real money wagers on a limited variety of video games. Now, several operators offer odds on events such as these.
Italy Online Horse Racing Betting
Pari-mutuel horse racing betting is legal in Italy, and multiple online sportsbook operators offer daily racing markets. All Italian horse racing betting sites must receive ADM licenses before offering bets on races and comply with the regulations found in ADM Decree 4 July 1011.
There are multiple horse racing betting sites to choose from, but OnlineBettingSites.com recommends Bet365 first among all others for pari-mutuel wagering.
While it may not host any of the world’s most famous races, Italy has a thriving horse racing industry that sees the sport compete with soccer for the number one spot in terms of revenue generated.
The big races on the calendar are the Gran Premio Merano, the Premio Vittorio di Capua, and the Palio di Siena. They may not be on a par with the Kentucky Derby or the Grand National, but they draw serious crowds every year.
Responsible Gambling in Italy
Italian laws require operators to promote responsible gambling in their advertising, ensure customers have ways to set spending limits, and provide mechanisms for bettors to initiate time-out periods.
In addition, bettors can self-exclude from all Italian gambling sites and online sportsbooks for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, or indefinitely at this page on the ADM website.
While self-excluded, individuals may not open new online gambling accounts with any operator or deposit funds to any existing account. However, bettors may withdraw their winnings or close their existing accounts anytime.
Anyone who self-excludes indefinitely may only request reinstating their online betting accounts after six months.
Italy Online Betting FAQs
Mike Murphy is the founder of OnlineBettingSites.com and has over 10 years of experience in the legal online betting industry. A regular attendee of industry trade shows and conferences, Mike is a strong proponent of regulated markets and responsible gambling policies.