The ADM licence explained: what Italy’s regulated casinos must do for players

Italy runs one of Europe’s oldest regulated online gambling markets. Since 2011 only operators holding a concession from ADM, the Customs and Monopolies Agency, may offer casino games to Italian residents. The licence is not a formality: it dictates how accounts work, how money is held and how winnings are taxed.

How to check a licence

Every ADM site shows its concession number in the footer, a five-digit figure such as 15215 (Snai) or 15236 (LeoVegas), alongside the ADM logo and the 18+ symbol. The number can be checked against the public list on ADM’s website. Sites without a number, or reachable only through a VPN, are outside the regulated market and are blocked by Italian ISPs.

What the licence imposes

Accounts are personal and tied to an Italian tax code; the ID must be verified within 30 days or the account is suspended. Deposit limits are mandatory and set at first login; decreases apply immediately, increases after seven days. Self-exclusion runs through the national RUA register and applies to every licensee at once. Player funds are held in segregated accounts and cannot be used for operating costs.

Games and RTP

Every game must be certified for the Italian market, with its RTP published in the game information. The same slot can exist in several RTP versions abroad; the ADM-certified version is the only one that may be offered. Live tables for Italian players are streamed from certified studios, including Evolution’s Rome studio.

Tax

Gambling taxes are paid by the licensee on its gross margin. Winnings are tax-free for the player, with no declaration required, whatever the amount. On unlicensed foreign sites the opposite applies: winnings count as other income and must be declared.

Bonuses under ADM rules

Bonuses are credited as Fun Bonus and become withdrawable only after wagering; terms must be published in full. Operators may not send promotional messages to self-excluded players. These rules make Italian bonuses less flashy than offshore ones and far more predictable.

The 2025 concession round

A new licensing round concluded in late 2025 reduced the number of online concessions to around fifty, each costing €7 million for nine years. The large operators — Snai, Sisal, Lottomatica, Betway, 888, LeoVegas, StarCasinò, Unibet, bet365, William Hill — all renewed; many smaller brands left the market.