Country: Italy

Betting websites are blocked in Italy
Following a fierce battle between an authority of the Italian State and private european online betting companies over their activity in Italy, a big number of betting websites are officialy blocked for Italian Internet users.

Everything began with the 2006 financial law (Law 266/2005) voted by the Parliament under the outgoing Berlusconi government. The law included four provisions – namely paragraph 535-58 of art.1 – which gave the Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS or Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies, a part of the Ministry of Economy and Finances) the power to bring to the attention of: (a) providers of Internet services, or (b) providers of other data or telecommunication networks, or (c) entities that offer networks or telecommunication services in relationship to (a) or (b), all those instances in which someone offers games or bets where money can be lost or won without having the proper authorization that is usually granted by AAMS itself. (sorce and the whole article: edri.org)