ShareWhen we talk about AAMS Online Casinos in Italy we refer to legal and authorised websites. The Italian legislation in the gaming sector is one of the strictest in Europe. The ADM licence (formerly AAMS) is the fundamental factor that distinguishes safe sites from scam sites.
In recent years the online gaming sector has had a constant growth of players, in spite of the growing success of Italian land-based casinos.
The most famous Italian casinos
Online casinos must follow all then the regulations imposed by AAMS; and they are also subject to a series of tight controls. The same happens with traditional land-based casinos, which in Italy are now only three:
- Venice
- Sanremo
- Saint Vincent
Until a few years ago there was also a fourth, the casino of Campione d'Italia, which in 2018 was closed due to bankruptcy.
It's easy to imagine the boom of land-based casinos in decades past. There was great excitement for the live games. It was a different and unusual way to spend an evening. In recent years, however, a marked reversal of the trend has been noted. Enthusiasts have found other ways to meet their needs in the new online games that are more technological and at available at their fingertips.
AAMS: Safe and Controlled Online Casinos
The AAMS (Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato) is the old name of the Agenzia delle Dogane e Monopoli now known as ADM. This is the only body in Italy that controls and regulates the gaming sector. If an operator wants to enter the Italian market, they must a number of regulatory. These steps are necessary to operate in a 100% legal way.
The history of this institution begins in 1999 with the establishment of the Customs Agency that deals with activities that were previously controlled by the Ministry of Finance. In 2012 this agency was joined by the Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies (AAMS). Merging these two agencies became ADM, the current regulator. Information on each licence they grant can be found online on the Agency's website. There is, in fact, a list in which you can search for every legal gaming domain in Italy. Here you can find historical Italian gambling brands such as Sisal and Snai as well as new online casinos like Casino Mania and Best in Games. This list is commonly known as “lista casino AAMS” as most people in Italy still refer to the regulator with the old name.
How to recognize a legal site from an illegal one in Italy?
The first thing to do, as we have mentioned, is to check the ADM website. By entering the website URL, we will find this information:- Licence Number
- Name of the licence holder
- The list of the website they operate
- Their contact details
This information gives the opportunity to prove the reliability of the AAMS online casino. Through a simple search you can check everything you need. If the license number is linked to the website, then the operator is legal. If the domain or dealer is not listed then you stumbled upon an illegal website.
The ADM site is the only gaming regulator that controls everything that has to do with casinos and gambling. The agency also deals with: land-based casinos, gambling halls, bingo and betting rooms.
What is the process for an AAMS Online Casino?
The process to obtain an AAMS license in Italy is rigorous and quite expensive. Operators must first open a VAT account. Then they have to proceed with the registration in what is the commercial register dedicated to this type of activity. As a bank guarantee they must make a payment of 1 million and 500 thousand euros. Following the all the necessary checks they can get a licence valid for 4 years (with an advance of 350 thousand euros in taxes).Obtaining a licence in italy, as we have seen, is rather complex. The controls are very important and represent a guarantee for the player. And even if the taxes are high, it must be said that they are proportional to what can be earned legally.
Computer encryption: an extra guarantee for the player
The security of every AAMS online casino is based on computer encryption. This type of protection applies to sensitive data but also to transactions carried out on the site. Most online casinos use 128-bit SSL encryption, the standard for the legal gaming industry. This protocol protects the players information from hacker attacks.The protection of personal data is a very important requirement to obtain the AAMS license. Each casino, in fact, uses all the technology at its disposal to safeguard the player's privacy. The information must be private and never disclosed to third parties. Except for one case: if a state body requests the data then the site must provide it by law.
The protection of transactions, then, through physical or virtual banks is equally important. And in recent years many efforts have been made from this point of view. There are no casinos where this part is overlooked. The best sites allow you to choose from a variety of payment methods that reduce risk.
Finally, a good customer service can overcome any kind of doubt of the user in real time. There are three possible ways to communicate with customer service: email, toll-free number, and live chat. Needless to say, the best sites make them all available to subscribers.
