Casino Gambling in Italy

Italy is the birthplace of many of gambling’s most prominent games and traditions. By some accounts, the Italians adopted the fortunetelling cards of the invading Saracens and first used them for gambling. Additionally, baccarat was invented in Italy, most likely in the 15th century. The lottery came into existence in 1530 and would later evolve into bingo.

Until relatively recently, gambling was generally perceived in a very negative light by Italian citizens. The parallels between gambling and the mafia were hard to miss. In fact, Italian schools have traditionally made it a point to instruct students about the dangers and evils of gambling.

Casinos, horse racing, and other gambling activities are legal but they have taken a while to catch on in Italy. This has been changing over time, but the Italian government has not made it easy.

The Italian government has also stepped in with respect to online casino gambling. At one point, Italy attempted to ban all IP addresses associated with online gambling sites. When this failed, the Italian government attempted to create an exclusive online poker room.

They have since relaxed their stance on online gambling. As of January 1st, 2007, Italy has made it legal for any Italian citizen to gamble online. They have demonstrated their support for online gambling by agreeing to issue over 17,000 gambling licenses which would cover online gambling companies as well as casinos.

With these changes in attitude, experts view Italy as a potential gambling revenue giant. A few years ago, a report was done by the Media and Entertainment Consulting Network that predicted the retail betting market would grow to approximately € 14 billion, which is about 200 percent of what it was in 2007. Interactive gambling was expected to reach € 3.7 billion, a growth of 240 percent.

The youth of Italy have become a driving force in the country’s gaming industry. The minimum gambling age is 18 in Italy. Interestingly, bingo has become popular among the youth in recent years. As a result, it is not uncommon to see several young people scattered among the traditional elderly citizens at local bingo halls.

Italy is home to some of the world’s finest casinos. Casino de la Vallee is located in the small town of Saint Vincent and is the largest casino in the country. It was built during the Second World War in order to lighten the spirits of the community. It features 95 table games and 512 slot and video poker machines.

In Venice, you will find the spectacular Casino Municipale di Venezia. The summer casino is closed from October through April and the winter casino is closed from May through September. Minimum age is 18 to enter and gamblers must wear a tie and jacket. Games include baccarat, backgammon, blackjack, bridge, gin rummy and French roulette. International bridge, backgammon and gin rummy tournaments are also held.

There are several sports betting services available across the country. Two of the largest, William Hill and Ladbrokes, have licenses to take wagers over the phone and the Internet. Horse racing is also very popular, most notably the Palio di Siena race which is held twice a year.

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