Official language: Italian
Population: 59,829,710
Currency: Euro (EUR)

Current Exchange Rate
1 GBP = 1.0681 EUR
1 USD = 0.6754 EUR

Casinos in Italy
Italy's first casino opened way back in 1726 in Venice. It was an exclusive place, used by Venetian royalty to discuss business, drink, gamble, and generally have fun. Through the centuries casinos came and went, and today, even though gambling is fully legal, there are just a handful of casinos still open across Italy.

The casinos that are in operation are for the most part fancy and exclusive venues. Black ties and evening ware are generally obligatory for all Italian casinos. Most casinos are in Venice, and game machines are generally the most popular. Baccarat, which was invented in Italy, and table games share a portion of the floor as well.

Online Casinos in Italy
Italian online casinos are legal, and there are many in operation today. Many of these are hosted in Italy, and are specifically made for Italian players. There are a number of internet casinos located outside of the country as well that accept Italian players. The Italian government tries to block such sites, but the blocks are ineffectual, and many sites still get through.

The EU is currently putting pressure on Italy not only to stop the blocks of foreign online casinos, but also to relax the regulations attached to the online casino permits they give out, which are known to be quite strict. This is especially important since the online gambling industry in Italy is not very strong. Even though it is legal to gamble online, Italians show a strange lack of interest. Perhaps the same feelings that kept gambling from becoming very popular are also affecting online casinos.