Italy to open remote gambling sector: report
The Italian government has reportedly initiated a drive to further liberate the country’s remote gambling sector by framing new legislation extending licensing to online poker cash games, casino games, betting exchanges and betting on virtual events.
According to a report filed by Recentpoker.com, the goal is to submit the proposed laws to the European Commission within the next few months in the hopes of having the law in place by the end of 2009. The development has been attributed to the head of remote gaming at regulator Amministrazione autonoma dei monopoli dei Stato (AAMS), Francesco Rodano.
According to another report filed by eGaming Review, the failure to block unlicensed gaming sites and the reconstruction of the Abruzzo region devastated by a major earthquake in April this year are the two reasons behind the Italian government’s push to license online poker cash games, casino games, betting exchanges and betting on virtual events in the next few months. Italy has had a list of sites blocked by the major Internet service providers since it started licensing online poker tournament games and fixed odds sports betting nearly two years ago. However, according to Rodano, a quick search for information was all it took for players to get around the block.
