Betting sites Italy

The best betting sites in Italy as of 2025 at a glance:

Best Italian Betting Sites 2025: Reviewed In-depth

Online Sports Betting in Italy – How It All Started

Like most European countries, sports betting is legal in Italy for individuals aged 18 and above. The modernization of sports betting online began to take shape in 2006.

Initially, only two entities were authorized to offer sports betting. These were the National Horse Breeders Enhancement Society and the Italian National Olympic Committee.

Furthermore, the government blocked access to sports betting websites. This included operators with a license from other EU nations. According to the EU, this constituted a violation of the Commission's laws.

Following this, Italy opened its doors to international operators in 2006 via Ministerial Decree 111. This is the main piece of legislation that regulates the country’s betting market today.

In 2009, the Italian government issued another decree, opening the market to other European operators. During this time, the country legalized most forms of gambling. This saw the debut of Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli as the country’s online sports regulator.

What are the sports Italians bet on the most nowadays?

Every nationality has its own favorite sports. It will come as no surprise that Football is the absolute most popular sport in Italy, but Italians also love playing and betting on a couple more sports. Let's take a look at all of them in this section of our article:

Football

According to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), 4.6 million+ registered Italians actively take part in football in the country. Plus, there are over 1.4 million registered individuals within the Italian Football Federation. The team has won the FIFA world cup four times – in 1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006.

Italy has a decades old tradition with the sport. A game similar to it was played in Genoa in the 16th century, but the modern football ruleset was introduced in the 1890s in Turin. The game quickly took off in the country, and, nowadays, the Serie A is not only the largest domestic league in Italy, but also one of the most anticipated Football competitions in the world!

Swimming, other water sports

The Italian Swimming Federation (Federazione Italiano Nuoto – FIN), was formed in 1899. It oversees over 1200 swimming clubs in the country.

Italy’s national swimming team finished third in the 2022 World Aquatics Championship. It scooped 9 gold, 7 silver, and 6 bronze medals. This totaled to 22 medals across all swimming disciplines.

The most popular sports for betting in particular are swimming, diving and water polo. Italy has a rich history with all of them, and today, athletes from the country compete at the highest level!

Skiing

Italy is home to some of the best ski resorts in the world, in the Alps and Dolomites. Some of the highly rated resorts include Val Gardena, Madonna di Campiglio, and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Notably, skiing is one of the most popular winter sports in the country, alongside snowboarding and ice skating.

The country is also home to several Olympic champions in skiing and slalom, including Giuliano Razzoli and Piero Gros. So, the sport is very popular for betting, too!

Cycling

Cycling has a long and proud history in Italy. The country has been hosting the Giro d'Italia since 1909, with just two interruptions caused by the world wars. This cycling tour is one of the three biggest in Europe, and rivals the Tour de France in popularity. Italy also has one of the strongest Olympic cycling teams. Across the 24 editions of the Olympics, they have managed to win 28 Gold medals! The team is in fact ranked second in the world. All of this helps bring attention to cycling, but what also drives interest in betting on it is the fact that there are over a million people who take part in the sport recreationally!

Tennis

In 2002, it was estimated that there were around 1.2 million Tennis players in Italy. We would assume that this number is much greater nowadays! The sport was introduced to Italians all the way back in the 19th century, by the British people who went on holiday in the country. The first Italian tennis club was formed in Milano in 1893.

Ever since, the tennis players in the country have gone on to achieve major successes in all sorts of various tournaments around the world. In particular, Italy is currently dominating the World Tennis Association ranking in women's competitions. Four out of the top ten players there are Italians!

Quick facts about tennis in Italy: There are 4.5 million+ tennis fans, 1500+ tennis clubs, and 14,000+ tennis courts. Plus, there are over 122,000 tennis players and 13,000+ tennis coaches.

The Lawn Tennis Club, the first Italian tennis club was formed in Milano in 1893. Remarkably, the country has produced several Grand Slam champions and has had strong performances in Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competitions.

Currently, Jasmine Paolini is the highest-ranked Italian woman in the WTA top 10.

Volleyball

Italy is home to one of the best national volleyball teams in Europe. They have won a staggering number of events, at the highest professional level. For instance, they have four World Championship wins, one World Cup, eight World League and seven European Championship victories. Naturally, this drives a lot of interest in the sport domestically, and makes it very popular for betting.

But Volleyball has been around for quite a while in Italy! In fact, the Italian Volleyball league has been held annually since 1946. It is no wonder then that Italy has such a well-performing national team, since the sport has a long tradition in the country.

Italy's men's national volleyball team has won four World Championships (1990, 1994, 1998, 2022), one World Cup (1995), eight World League titles, and seven European Championships.

The Italian Volleyball League has been held annually since 1946. This makes it one of the oldest professional volleyball leagues in the world.

Are there more than one type of betting site in Italy?

Yes! There are many types of betting sites. In this section, we will cover the six most important kinds of sites you can use to bet on sports in Italy:

The best payment methods Italians use with betting sites

Next, we would like to take a look at a couple of the most popular payment methods in Italy. The reason why you should learn about the payment methods available in the country is that you might be able to cash in faster and even cheaper that way. And knowing what other payment methods exist can help you find something which is more convenient to you. So, without further ado, here is what the top five payment methods are:

PostePay

PostePay is a payment method which is unique to Italy. It is a prepaid card, issued by the Italian government. It allows you to quickly and safely deposit to online betting sites, without using any of your real banking information.

The prepaid card can be bought in one of the Italian post offices and topped up with either cash or via the PostePay website. So, the payment method is very versatile overall, and what's even better about it is that there are no transaction fees.

At the same time, it does have some downsides as well. There is no way to get a withdrawal processed to a PostePay card, because these cards do not actually support ongoing payments. So if you have used it to cash in you will need to cash out via another payment method.

Credit Cards

Another immensely popular payment method in Italy is credit cards. They are not only widespread among bettors, though! The majority of betting sites allow for credit card deposits. Said deposits are instant, while also having very low processing fees. This means that you will be able to deposit to your credit card account without much hassle. However, the downside of using them as a payment method is that withdrawals can be tricky.

First off, some betting sites do not like processing credit card withdrawals, and so, that is not an available option with them. Secondly, when they are available for withdrawals, credit cards can take a bit longer than some other payment methods. Their processing time can be up to three days, sometimes even more, which is also not ideal in our opinion. Other payment methods can be much faster!

Nonetheless, credit cards are popular for a good reason, because they really do make depositing very easy!

Crypto

Crypto is preferred by the tech-savvy Italian punter. The payment method allows for fast deposits and withdrawals, and most transactions using it are settled within a couple of minutes at most. At the same time, though, crypto payments have the advantage of anonymity. They are a lot less traceable than some of the other payment methods you might use in Italian betting sites. Also, they allow for smaller minimum deposits and higher maximum cash ins, in general.

However, there are also a lot of downsides to crypto as a means of depositing to Italian bookies. For instance, we mentioned it being popular among tech-savvy bettors, because using crypto is pretty complex. Secondly, every transaction on it will have you pay a miner fee. The fees are collected by the people processing your payments, as a reward for doing so. Their size is pretty unpredictable.

Still, if you are up to it, check out crypto as a means of deposit, because you might find it to be the right one for you!

PaysafeCard

PaysafeCard is very similar to PostePay. It allows you to purchase e-vouchers, or prepaid cards, either online, or with a physical retailer. Each voucher has its own value – €10 at least and €100 at most, and comes with an unique code. This code is entered when depositing using PaysafeCard, and allows you to transfer a selected amount of money. The advantages of using PaysafeCard are that it allows for very safe deposits, without you revealing any of your personal banking information to the betting site.

On the other hand, you cannot withdraw via PaysafeCard if you wish to use the payment method. Also, the rigid denominations it has are actually a bit too restrictive, if you wish to deposit larger sums of money.

E-wallets

E-wallets are one of the most common payment methods which are offered by Italian betting sites nowadays. Using them, you can place deposits instantly, and cash out instantly, too. E-wallet transactions also benefit from one of the highest levels of security which you can get from any payment method in Italy.

On the other hand, e-wallet deposits have their downsides, too, in the form of the comparatively high fees which you need to pay. These are owed for depositing to the e-wallet account, for spending money from it and even for cashing out of it. The fees are sometimes up to 4%-5% of the transaction size. Of course, what fees are present will vary between the different e-wallets.

Despite that, because of the sheer speed at which transactions are cleared, e-wallets are consistently ranked among the most popular payment methods in Italy. Some of the most commonly used examples include MiFinity, Jeton and Neteller

Finding the best betting site in Italy: Essential tips and tricks

Here are some tips and tricks every Italian bettor should pick up! They allow you to find a safe and reliable place to bet, which is also going to fit your individual wagering needs perfectly: 

• Check the license of the betting site yourself: You might stumble upon reviews of the betting site claiming that it is licensed, but you need to verify that yourself. That is the only way to know you are dealing with a licensed betting site which can offer you the high level of safety and transparency you deserve when it comes to betting!
• Ask your friends about the site: One of the simplest ways to make sure a betting site is up to snuff is to contact other Italian players who have experience punting there. In fact, doing so will often reveal the exact problems you might otherwise run into! Avoid any site which has a negative reception among fellow bettors in Italy. 
• Contact the Support agents: Another important thing to do if you consider betting somewhere is check to see if the Support agents of the site are quick to respond and helpful. Ask them something about, for instance, the payment policies of the betting site. If they give you a slow and vague response, you might want to avoid the betting site. Otherwise, it is just this useless support you will have to deal with if there are any issues later on!
• Ensure the betting site speaks your language: If the betting site is translated to Italian, that means the people behind it want to put a greater focus on the needs of the Italian bettor. And if the legal documents are also available in your native language, that is a great sign that they are willing to provide you with a highly transparent service! 

The top 3 Italian bookies: Comprehensive comparison

The following table will shed some light onto how the best of the best among Italian bookmakers stack up against each other, on various important points of comparison. We hope it is useful to you in determining what a betting site should offer in terms of its services!

Is it legal to use the services of betting sites in Italy?

Yes! Even though games of chance, like casino games, are banned in Italy, betting on sports is actually legal, and regulated. Over the past 20 years, the betting sector in Italy has undergone reform after reform and is on the path towards liberalization. However, at the time of writing, the state still has a monopoly on it via the AAMS, the domestic regulator. It issues licenses to betting site operators.

Some Italian punters feel that the AAMS is a strict license issuer, as it has restricted how they can bet a fair bit. For instance, the maximum win possible under the regulation of the AAMS is €50 000 per bet. So, a lot of punters in the country look to betting sites licensed in other EU jurisdictions, like the MGA, as an alternative, or even to betting sites licensed in more exotic countries, too.

Just how trustworthy and reliable are betting predictions for the Italian player?

Making betting predictions is a fun activity to engage with friends in. However, are the predictions one can find online any good? Can you trust them to provide you with accurate insight into the outcomes of the games you wager on?

Well, in general, we are against any claim that betting predictions are exceptionally reliable. Instead, we recommend that you recognize that there is always an element of chance to any sports game. Also, predictions you find online can be by people who have not done sufficient research into the game to be able to assess it fully.

So, we recommend taking any prediction you find online with a grain of salt, and only trusting the predictions which are well-motivated and backed up by facts. But even when Italian bettors decide to take them into account, they should always remember the said element of chance, and not trust betting predictions blindly!

Responsible gambling with Italian betting sites: Vital tips

At BettingSites.cc, we are firm believers in responsible gambling. So, we would like to provide you with a bit of information on how you can stay safe while wagering on your favorite sports events in Italian betting sites:

• Set realistic expectations for yourself: One of the most important things to do before gambling is realizing you cannot use it as a source of income. Instead, betting should be just another fun activity for you. Also, don't forget the element of chance! Do not seek to win, and be comfortable with the possibility of losing, which is present in any bet you place. Otherwise, you will start placing more and more bets to offset your losses, which is addictive behavior!
• Never borrow money to gamble: Always use your own funds to bet. Also, decide on how much you will spend per betting session, and do not overstep that amount. This will help you keep better track of your spending on betting, which is a responsible and mature way of approaching it.
• Keep track of your moods: If you often feel angry, or have had fallings out with your friends and family over gambling, that is a sign that you need to seek help. Self-exclude and give yourself a break from gambling.
• Remember there's always somewhere to seek help: If you are feeling helpless or alone, there is always hope! A lot of resources exist online for help with problem gambling. We will mention just a couple of them further down below, so stay tuned for that, too.

Italian Betting sites: A brief message from the author

As the author of the current article, I have nothing but praise for the Italian betting sites I examined! In fact, all of the sites I've featured above were quite excellent, in every sense of the word. They offered a quick sign-up, as well as plenty of payment methods.
Moreover, the sheer size of their sportsbooks and the range of betting events were among the largest of anything a betting site has offered me. Also, on a personal note, I appreciated how much these betting sites cared about my digital privacy, which is something fairly important to me. Overall, the Italian betting world left a really pleasant taste, and I'm happy I got to check out so many wonderful bookies.

How can I get help with gambling addiction in Italy?

Seeking help with gambling addiction is something a lot of bettors around the world struggle with. However, we are happy to say that taking this first step is often times the most difficult part of anyone's journey towards recovery. And what's more, there are a lot of means of seeking help with such addiction in Italy, which is what the following section of our article is going to be dedicated to:

• The website of the AAMS: The best start on your journey towards responsible gambling is the website of the AAMS, which contains important information that is capable of helping you determine whether you have a gambling issue, and where to seek professional help!
• Self-exclude: Self-excluding refers to the process of using the measures that betting sites hand to your disposal, like setting custom deposit limits or closing down your account with the betting site. That will help you control any gambling urges. However, we should mention that you can also self-exclude by simply deleting any betting apps and such gambling software on your devices. Also, don't forget to block the domains of the betting sites, because that will further limit your access to them. The further they are from the eyes, the further from the mind!

The bottom line on betting sites in Italy

Overall, the Italian betting sector is a mature and safe environment, which can provide thousands of hours of betting action for any punter in the country. We hope that the thorough article you've read has helped you gain insight into it. But, truth be told, there is just so much more to say! If you are curious about betting in Italy, we recommend checking out our other coverage of Italian bookies.