Italian Bookmakers

Author: Steven D. Thompson

Updated: 27/12/2024 11:20 AM

Want to bet on sports in Italy? The best Italian betting sites have the markets you crave and the odds you deserve. And we can assist you in locating them.At BetPack, we rank all bookmakers on the Italian Peninsula and make the best betting sites in Italy stand out. We also tell you which sports you can bet on and share key stats about betting in Italy. So, pick the Italian bookmaker you fancy and learn a thing or two about Italian betting sites along the way.

Table of Contents

Top 5 Betting Sites in Italy in 2024

Sports Betting Regulation in Italy

Sports betting is legal in Italy. In fact, Italy was one of the first countries to legalise betting in Europe, as sports wagering has been allowed in the country since 1948. Italy was also a pioneer when it came to legalising online betting. It drew up a legal framework for online sports wagering, and online bets became legal when the Sports Betting Decree No. 111 came into effect in 2007.

It is important to note that sports betting and horse racing betting are not governed by the same laws.Horse racing bookies have to comply with Horse Racing Betting Law No. 31.

The first sports betting licences in Italy were issued in 2010. The regulatory body responsible for issuing licences and overseeing the Italian betting scene is the Italian Agenzia Delle Dogane e Dei Monopoli (ADM). The Agenzia Delle Dogane e Dei Monopoli incorporated the Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies (AAMS), responsible for wagering in Italy until 2012, and took on the new nameng from December 1, 2012.

Sports betting winnings aren't taxable in Italy if you play at licenced betting sites, which is great for bettors joining licenced Italian betting sites.

As with most countries, sports betting operators do have to pay a tax on their gross profits. For land-based bookmakers, the tax rate is 18%. Online betting providers contribute 24%, while virtual and fantasy betting sites in Italy have to pay 22% of their gross profits.

Key Facts & Stats About Betting in Italy

How to Pick the Best Italian Bookmaker

Betting online in Italy comes with tonnes of perks, from the sports markets you can pick to the bonuses and promotions bookmakers offer. However, to get them, you must play at top sportsbooks. And we'll help you find these top-notch Italian bookmakers. Here's what you need to do to find the best betting sites in Italy.

Step 1

Verify the Bookie Has a Licence

When picking betting sites in Italy, the licence is the first thing to check. A licence is not only a sign of a legitimate bookie, but it is also a symbol of an Italian sportsbook you can trust.

Step 2

Check Sports Markets

The best Italian betting sites have all the sports you can think of and then some. The bookmakers we feature are the crème de la crème of the Italian gambling market. They have everything from football and basketball to obscure sports for players in Italy, such as bandy and pesapallo.

Step 3

Look at Bonuses

Sports markets and bonuses are important. However, so are bonuses. It is much better to bet at a bookmaker that gives you an enticing 100% welcome bonus up to €200 than at one that doesn't.

Step 4

Check Odds

Have you noticed that some bookies have higher odds than their competitors? So, instead of comparing and analysing the odds yourself, why not go with the recommendations we give you? That way, you will have more time to make the most of those enticing odds you get. Pretty neat, right?

Knowing you, and the fact that you are reading this tells us that you want to spend some time analysing the odds so that you play at Italian bookies that offer competitive odds. We applaud you for that, as that's exactly what we would do.

In fact, that's what we already did with the bookies you see here at BetPack. We spent a lot of time and money analysing odds, among other things, and found the bookies with the best odds in the Italian gambling industry.

So, instead of comparing and analysing the odds yourself, why not go with the recommendations we give you? That way, you will have more time to make the most of those enticing odds you get. Pretty neat, right?

Outstanding Free Bets & Betting Offers in Italy

Bookmaker	Offer
GreatWin	100% up to €100
Powbet	100% up to €100
Freshbet	100% up to £500
Sportsbet.io	10% Cashback
LeoVegas	€100 Free Bet

How We Compare and Rank Betting Sites in Italy

Betting has been regulated in Italy since 1948, and the country has a regulatory framework that covers all aspects of retail and online sports betting. However, to make the most of Italy's well-thought-out legislation, you need to play at the best betting sites.

And that's where we come in. At BetPack, we analyse betting sites in Italy and cover all aspects of importance to players. We spend valuable resources to do this, because we know that if we didn't, you, our reader, would pay double that when playing at inferior Italian bookmakers. Read on to learn more about BetPack's unique comparing and ranking system for online betting sites in Italy.

License / Security

The only bookmakers in Italy that we consider are those that have a licence from a renowned regulator. We know, based on our years of experience in the sports betting industry, that a sportsbook can have enticing markets and odds, but if it works without a license, it is just a problem waiting to happen.

For instance, with a licenced betting site, you will never worry about not getting your winnings. If that happens, you will simply report the problem to the sports betting regulator that issued the license. If the regulator discovers that the bookie is indeed in the wrong, the betting site will be told to either give you your winnings or lose its license. There's no third outcome.

In contrast, if you join a bookie that doesn't have a licence, you will be left at its mercy. It can decide when and whether it will pay you out. And you can complain as much as you want. There will be no regulator to protect your interests and sanction the fraudulent bookie.

Fortunately, when you pick your bookmakers with our help, you don't have to worry about ending up with an unlicensed bookie. All our sites for betting in Italy have a valid sports betting license. So, even if a problem arises between you and the betting site, you will know that your interests will be protected by the regulator issuing the license.

Welcome Offer

One of the best ways to determine the quality of Italian betting sites is to look at the welcome bonuses they give you. A top-notch Italian betting site will also give you a super-lucrative welcome offer. So, checking the welcome bonus always helps us accurately gauge how good a bookmaker is.

However, we don't fall for a betting site just because its sign-up offer promises bags of bonus money. That welcome promo must be easy to claim too. So, in addition to analysing what you get, we also make sure you actually get those bonus funds. A welcome bonus up to €500 will be of no use to you if you cannot withdraw the winnings from it.

To ensure you get all the bonus money and free bets promised, we only feature welcome bonuses with reasonable requirements. That means players in Italy only have to trigger the bonus and bet as they normally would before withdrawing winnings. In other words, you won't need to wager the bonus money twenty times before you can ask for a payout.

Promotions & Free Bets

At BetPack, we want you to enjoy each bet. And one of the ways to do that is to get promos and free bets constantly, not only when you join a sports betting site for the first time. So, the next thing on our list is to check that sportsbooks have a wide range of promotions for existing players.

Our Italian bookmakers boast everything from free bets and risk-free wagers to cashback promos and reload deposit bonuses. So, if you see that a bookmaker has been ranked best for bonuses, make no mistake that the bookie has a fantastic selection of promos.

However, we don't feature bookies just because they have a lot of bonuses. Luckily for you, we are not that easily impressed. The promos need to offer value to players too.

To achieve that, we activate and play with each bonus. If we can claim the bonus funds or free bets easily, we recommend that bookie. In contrast, if we see that the sportsbook only uses the promos to lure players in and then gives nothing in return, we remove it altogether from our shortlist.

Sports Offering

The best and only way to experience sports betting in Italy is to go with bookmakers that let you bet on as many sporting events as possible. In other words, you don't just want a bookie that will give you the Serie A or the Champions League. You also need the bookmakers you join to offer some of the most obscure sports and competitions too. That means you should be able to bet on second-tier table tennis competitions, reserve league football, or rugby trials. The more sports and competitions a bookie offers, the better its BetPack rankings will be.

The same goes for the sports betting markets on offer. We want bookies to let you bet on both pre-match and live betting markets. That way, if you are an Italian football enthusiast, you can bet on the match-winner market before the match starts, and hedge your wager in the live betting market as the game plays out. Similarly, if you wagered on a tennis match and predicted a one-sided contest, you can place a different bet in the live betting market after seeing that the duel is more tightly contested than you originally thought.

Finally, we want the bookies we recommend to help you with other types of markets, such as futures bets. Players in Italy love betting on outright winners of competitions, such as which team will win the Serie A scudetto or which nation will triumph at the World Cup. So, it is paramount that we feature bookmakers that let you place bets that will keep you engaged over the entire season. If that outright bet turns out to be a winner, we will know that everything we did to give you that bookie was worth it.

Odds & Value

The Italian betting sites we recommend have some of the best odds you have ever seen. Do you know why? Because before we list a bookmaker, we always analyse the house edge it works with. If the bookie offers minimal odds, we don't even bother looking at things such as bonuses or markets.

At BetPack, decent odds are not only a point of comparison. They are the key criteria we look for in a sportsbook. A bookie can lack a payment method or two, or might not have a live chat feature. If that's the case, we will give it a low ranking, but might not discard it altogether. However, if it offers low odds, we won't give it a second look and will blacklist it for future reference too.

So, now that you know that all our bookmakers for Italian players give you good odds, you can rest assured that you will extract value from each sports bet.

However, let's say you are like us and want to bet at some of the best odds possible. If that's what you are looking for, check out some of the top bookmakers in our 'Best Odds' category. These bookmakers put competitive odds above everything else and often work with odds margins so minimal that you wonder how they can call themselves a business and not a non-profit.

Payment Methods

One of the most important things to consider when betting online in Italy is which payment methods you can use. The rule here is simple, the more payment methods available, the better for you. A wide range of banking options will allow you to find the one that suits you the most, both in terms of transaction limits and speeds. So, our BetPack experts sift through the Italian gambling industry to find betting sites with the best payment methods to make that happen for you.

As a result, almost all our sites that provide online betting in Italy work with the banking options you need and offer the transaction speeds and limits you deserve. The bookmakers we list work with debit and credit cards, as well as e-wallets, prepaid cards, bank transfers, pay-by-mobile options, etc. They allow you to deposit and withdraw using Visa, MasterCard, Sofort, PayPal, Neteller, Apple Pay, Skrill, CartaSi, Trustly, Paysafecard, etc.

The great thing about playing with our betting sites is that you don't have to join them to learn which banking options they accept. We tell you that right away in our reviews. So, all you need to do is go to BetPack and use our intuitive payment methods filter. Next, find websites for betting in Italy that work with your preferred banking system and join them, so that you can bet with the banking option you love. How cool is that?

Features

The Italian online gambling industry is fiercely competitive. Often, it is the betting sites that have the best features that are destined to dominate the gambling market in Italy. We are on a mission to find exactly those bookmakers.

At BetPack, we give top marks to Italy betting sites that have innovative features. If these wagering options help players make the most of sports betting in Italy, that's even better.

Things like live streaming and bet builder options are always welcome if you are a bettor in Italy. So, we look favourably at sportsbooks that have them. If bookmakers give you the latest news, as well as tips, injury updates, and head-to-head match comparisons, we reward them with an even better rating.

And if sportsbooks in Italy also have a social betting feature where you can copy and paste bets and share your ideas with fellow bettors, then you and our experts have struck gold. That's the bookie we all want to join, and we make sure our rating for that bookie reflects that.

Top Italian Betting Sites by Category

Category	Bookmaker
Best Welcome Bonus	Freshbet
Best Odds	Powbet
Best Betting Markets	GreatWin
Best Features	Slotimo
Best Design & Usability	LeoVegas

Popular Payment Methods for Italian Betting Sites

When betting at Italian bookmakers, you can choose from a multitude of payment systems. These include Visa and MasterCard debit and credit cards, as well as CartaSi banking cards. E-wallets like Neteller, Skrill, and PayPal are options, as are regular and Sofort bank transfers. Paysafecard prepaid cards and various pay-by-phone methods are available at the best betting sites in Italy too.

You can use some of these payment options for both deposits and withdrawals, while others only facilitate deposits, and you must use an alternative when withdrawing your winnings. For instance, if you wager using debit and credit cards, bank transfers, or e-wallets, you can use the same method to deposit and withdraw your winnings. However, if you deposit using prepaid cards like Paysafecard or go with Apple Pay, the Apple mobile payment service, you will have to pick a different banking option for your payouts.

When picking payment methods for sports betting in Italy, you should also check if the banking options will help you trigger bonuses. E-wallets like PayPal and Neteller are some of the most popular payment methods in Italy, especially with players. However, they are notorious for failing to activate bonuses. That's because most Italian betting sites exclude these banking systems from their promos, particularly from welcome bonuses. If you want to activate sports betting promotions, banking cards and bank transfers are always safe options.

Most Popular Sports to Bet on in Italy

Best Italian Betting Sites for Sports

Sport	Bookmaker
Best for Football	LeoVegas
Best for Basketball	Freshbet
Best for Tennis	LV Bet
Best for Volleyball	24casino.bet
Best for Cycling	Powbet

Most Trusted Betting Sites in Italy by Betpack

Rank
#1	Freshbet
#2	LeoVegas
#3	Slotimo
#4	LV Bet
#5	Rızk

When you bet on sporting events, you want all your energy to go into compiling the best wagers possible. And the only way to do that is to play at reliable betting sites you can trust.

It is easy to see how playing at a dishonest sportsbook can take your focus away from your bets. If the bookie doesn't give you your winnings and hesitates when crediting bonus money to your account, it is normal for you to become more worried about those things. As a result, you won't be able to concentrate on the bets you are placing and will lose money instead of winning. Unfortunately, this is often a vicious circle you cannot get out of without changing the bookmaker.

At BetPack, we know how important it is to play at trustworthy betting sites. To that end, we feature only the best bookies in the Italian gambling market. Before listing them, we always check their licence and see if they utilise the latest in security and encryption technology.

That way, when we list a bookie, we are sure that players will be able to wager worry-free. Join one of our BetPack bookies and focus on the only thing that matters - betting on the sports, teams, and players you love.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Most Popular Sports to Bet on in Italy?

Football is hands-down the most popular sport to bet on in Italy. The amount wagered on football is five times the amount wagered on the second-most-popular sport, tennis.

How to Claim a Free Bet from an Italian Bookmaker?

First, join a betting site that offers free bets. The bookmakers we list at BetPack are a great place to find these free-bet-rich betting sites. Next, open a betting account with the sportsbook. To get your free bet credits, you need to activate the promo and might need to enter a bonus code. Then place a qualifying bet. Here, you must meet minimum odds requirements and pick a predetermined number of selections. When your bet settles, you get your free bet.

Do Italian Bookmakers Have Good Odds?

Yes, they have great odds. However, you need to find online sports betting sites that work with minimal house edges, such as those we recommend at BetPack. These bookmakers will give you the best odds, as they operate with minimal margins and razor-thin profits.

Is There a Tax on Sports Betting Winnings in Italy?

No, there isn't, and that's one of the great things about betting in Italy.