Crackdown on Illegal Online Gambling: How Italian Authorities are Taking Action
The Italian Agency for Customs and Monopolies (ADM) is actively working to identify and block illegal online gambling sites, protecting citizens from fraud and other dangers. But how can you recognize an illegal betting site, and what are the risks involved?
Luca Turchi, an ADM executive in the Gaming Controls Office, explained the dangers of using unauthorized sites. “Italian players who gamble on illegal betting sites certainly do not have all the guarantees that they would find on the sites of authorized dealers,” he stated in an interview. He emphasized the risks related to payments and the management of game flows. “Let’s also remember, last but not least, that those who play on illegal sites are committing a crime that is foreseen and punished by Article 4, paragraph 3 of Law 401 of 1989.”
A Complex Procedure to Block Illegal Sites
Turchi outlined the process ADM uses to block these illegal sites. “ADM’s activity to block these sites is a rather complex procedure that starts with the analysis of the internet network carried out by officials of the Gaming Controls Office, together with Sogei personnel.”
He continued, “After this preliminary investigation, the possible list passes to another official who carries out a further control check. Finally, we make a passage to the Remote Gaming Office to verify that those sites cannot be linked to Italian dealers. Finally, the provision is created, which is published on the internet pages of the Agency’s website and is disseminated to Internet Service Providers so that they can inhibit the sites within 15 days. The entire procedure described has its legal basis. This legal basis is given by Article 102 of Decree Law 104 of 2020.”
How to Identify Legal Gambling Sites
So, how can players distinguish between legal and illegal online gambling sites?
Turchi offered some key indicators: “When the player goes on the Internet, he can certainly find sites that are not attributable to state dealers and sites that are attributable to dealers. How to recognize them? First of all, the dealer’s site has the Agency’s logo, shows the concession number, and also provides information, for example, to protect minors, therefore preventing minors from playing. All initiatives and information that we probably cannot find on illegal sites.”
He concluded, “However, if the player wants to be certain that he is facing a legal site of a dealer, he can go to the internet page of the Agency’s institutional site where, in the appropriate section of the portal, he can find the list of all the dealers and the related internet sites connected.”
This content is provided by AGIMEG.
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