The country has one of the most liberal gambling laws in Europe. This is not surprising, considering that Italy was ruled by a number of different empires and kingdoms for thousands of years. All those countries contributed to shaping this very tolerant culture, where betting on anything from horse races to baccarat, bingo games are socially accepted.
Italy Goes All-In on Gambling
Italy has long been known for its love affair with all things related to games and iGambling, so it should come as no wonder that it would go all-in on legalizing and regulating gambling within its borders. The European Union (EU) also meddled in the country’s online gambling affairs by blaming the Government for its attempts to cut access to foreign websites. This resulted in passing a new law that was brought into effect in 2010 and which provided foreign online casino operators with the right to offer their services to Italians in case they have obtained a domestic license first. For instance foreign GW Casino is a recognized leader of online baccarat and bingo for Australian players while also welcoming Italians. Actually, up to two hundred websites are currently operating in Italy as of 2022, with about 150 of them being online casino websites and the rest being either bingo, poker platforms, or mobile gambling houses.
Discover Italian games that are legal to play within Italy’s borders, as well as find out what is required for a website operator to legally operate in the territory.
How ‘Baccara’ Is Made Its Way
Baccara is widely referred to as the first card game that was a form of Italian Tarrochi, which may have been developed in China and brought back to Italy. It’s played with six cards dealt from a shoe. It’s thought to have originated in Italy during the late 15th century. The word baccarat comes from an Italian phrase meaning “zero” because this was originally how Italians bet – against each other, not the house, as they do now. Today players place bets on either the banker or the player and then, based on their own hand, they predict which side will win.
The Rise of Bingo
The entertainment that’s been around for centuries, but one may not be aware of all the facts about it. Bingo can be traced back to Italy in 1530 when the card entertainment kind Il Gioco del Lotto d’Italia (the Italian lottery) became popular. Originally known as Il Gioco del Lotto d’Italia in Italy and Le Lotto in France, the amusement was played by nobility at first. In 1875, Sir John Cowell invented the Bingo card to make it easier to play the game on ships where paper would often be wet or damaged. The bingo of today derives from this invention and spread across America with popularity among women and men. The word “bingo” was initially used in 1929 by Edwin S. Lowe, an American businessman and inventor who ran a chain of stores titled Bingo Lowe Variety Stores (which he titled after himself).
Biribi: the Oldest-Known Version of Roulette
The term “Biribi” has its origins in the Italian word for “mishap.” The name “Biribi” means bad luck in Italian, and the game was very popular during times of war or natural disasters. Players would play for low stakes because they were playing for their lives – not just money. It is an old amusement played on a table with figures, analogous to roulette. The only difference is that Biribi uses lower bets. The first mention of this kind of entertainment comes from a French novel written in 1644. In the 17th century, it was known as Biribissi or biribisso and played on a board with numbered slots like a Roulette wheel. It had many variations, but all were played for low bets and could be found at coffee houses and taverns across Europe. Others believe it has been invented by Italian nuns who needed something to entertain themselves with during their long hours at prayer. Biribi’s popularity quickly spread throughout Europe and it became quite popular, especially among people who had little money to gamble with.
Italy’s Culture Goes beyond Pizza & Soccer
The clichéd ideas of Italians, often based on the movies that Hollywood churns out and popular TV shows like Jersey Shore, are largely true: Italy is famous for its pizza and soccer. But those who know about Italy’s rich heritage in art, history, religion, cuisine, architecture and fashion will tell you there is so much more to the country than this. In addition to being the birthplace of modern democracy, Italy has also been a major player in shaping Western culture. The country’s contributions have ranged from its architecture and gambling, to food and wine.