Italy Legalizes Online Poker

Bravo! Online poker is now legal in Italy, licensed and regulated by the Italian government.

Poker has been thriving in the country for quite some time, with nearly two million people logging on to the internet to play poker at least once prior to the game\’s legalization. And a survey by the Consumers Defense and Orientation Association showed that Italians spend an average of 600 Euros each on internet gambling. If that trend continues, the government would be looking at a take of about $514 million annually.

While many European online poker sites are preparing to be licensed to enter the Italian market, Bluff Europe reports that one Italian-based site is already open for business. Gioco Digitale (meaning digital games) was the first to offer real-money poker games this week.

Congratulazioni!