Online Gambling No Longer Legal In Italy

Filed in archive Internet Poker on March 2, 2006

According to casinos.ch, Italy has recently "enacted legislation that makes it illegal for any Italian Internet Service Provider
(ISP) to allow connection to an offshore gaming site." The Italian Finance Act
of 2006 prohibits ISPs from allowing clients to connect to the more than 600 sites deemed by the state to be operating a gaming corporation.

Until recently the EU Services Directive had set the legal standard for both online and offline gaming in the region. In February, however, the directive was watered down and no longer gives any guidance leaving its member nations to regulate gambling on their own.

Italy is the first, but possibly not the last, to make such a move, though it must now gear up for a fight. The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) says it violates the EU's free trade agreement. The RGA has already complained to the EU and is attempting to have the The Italian Finance Act reversed.