Open a Casino in Italy

As the number of online gaming facilities has increased all over Europe during the last years, Italy was compelled to modify its legislation with respect to gambling activities. Due to these changes, many foreign online games operators have shifted their attention towards Italy. The new Italian laws on gambling have legalized the utilization of new technologies in the betting industry and also facilitate the authorization of foreign companies setting up casinos in the country.

Regulations for setting up casinos in Italy

Casino licenses are issued by the Customs and Monopolies Agency (Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli – ADM, which absorbed AAMS in 2012) in Italy. Foreign operators wanting to open casinos in Italy are required to obtain concessions for online games and betting, under Legislative Decree No. 41/2024, which reorganised remote gaming (nine-year concessions awarded by ADM tender in 2025). The concessions issued by the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) cover a wide range of gaming operations, among which:

• – betting,
• – horse racing,
• – skill games,
• – fixed odds betting,
• – bingo,
• – lotteries.

The applicant must respect the following requirements in order to be provided with a concession to open a casino in Italy:

• – the applicant must have a valid authorization issued in an EU member state,
• – the applicant must meet the financial, technical and good-standing requirements set by Legislative Decree No. 41/2024 and the ADM tender,
• – the company must be registered within an EU country,
• – the chairman of the board and the directors of the company must ensure the reliability and professional requirements as established by the law,
• – pay a one-off concession fee of EUR 7 million, plus an annual fee of 3% of net gaming revenue and 0.2% for gambling-addiction prevention.

Under the 2024 reform a single remote-gaming concession covers all online games, including bingo; land-based casinos remain limited to the four municipal casinos authorised by special laws (Sanremo, Venice, Campione d’Italia, Saint-Vincent).

NACE codes for casino operations in Italy

Before applying for the concession, the foreign operator must first register with the Italian Companies Register and tax authorities. Considering casino operation imply an economic activity, one must select the NACE code available for these types of activities. Under NACE Rev. 2.1 / ATECO 2025 (Section R – arts, sports and recreation), the relevant codes are:

• – 90.0 arts and entertainment activities,
• – 93.29 other amusement and recreation activities,
• – 92.00 gambling and betting activities.

Our Italian lawyers may help you set up a casino. You can also contact us for details about the taxation of gaming activities in Italy.