The European Commission is fighting a war against all the European member states who tries to regulate international online casino industry, and prevent it from entering their countries. It is not that the European Commission is especially in favour of the online casino industry, but they uphold the right for free market competition. Any European country, among those; France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden to mention just a few, who tried to regulate has felt the reprimand from the European Commission. Now Italy has found themselves in the dubious company.

The Italian draft decree for regulation of remote gambling in the country imposes restrictive requirements on remote gambling operators. Furthermore it imposes restrictions on which types of games can be played in Italy. However the most severe issue for remote gambling and online casino operators in the new proposal is the requirement to be continuously connected to the Italian regulator’s centralised IT-system. This would generate an extra cost for all foreign online casino operators, and a next to impossible task.

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is pleased that the European Commission has stepped into the case, and has issued a warning to the Italian government. EGBA main goal is to fight for their members’ right to an equal market competition within Europe, and to see to that those members with a European license do not loose the rights to use it in all of Europe. If this new draft should be finally accepted and legalised, it would call to the end of foreign online casino operators in Italy.