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, eGaming Review has learned.

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, Francesco Rodano, head of remote gaming at the Amministrazione autonoma dei monopoli dei Stato (AAMS), said a quick search for information was all it took for players to get around the block.

The tax levels for the new games would be set at 20% of gross profits tax, which compares with the current 4.5% tax on gross gaming revenues in sports betting and 3% tax, also on gross gaming revenues, in poker tournaments and skill games.

Rodano said the reason for the different tax rate was that in tournament poker the payout ratio was around 90% compared with payout levels of around 97% in cash games. “In tournament poker we can therefore take 3% of gross gaming revenues but that would not work in cash games as the operator takes a rake off every pot. We will therefore take the tax off operators’ rake, this will allow them to set the rake at commercially viable levels,“ Rodano explained.

In parallel with French poker operators lobbying their government to allow international liquidity to play against French players (more), Rodano added that there were “fierce discussions” going on between poker sites with international liquidity and recently established Italian sites over whether to open Italian poker rooms to international liquidity.

When asked about the problem gambling issues related to casino games, Rodano said: “We know this and that is why we want to regulate them: set the rules and control the play to avoid compulsive gaming. The online medium provides a great tool for controlling and monitoring players’ activity.”

Source: egaming review

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