Italy Leads Online Gambling Charge in 2009

This article is part of a series of 2009 summaries in online gambling worldwide. For more on Italy, visit the localized Online Casino Reports Italy.

Italy has been leading the way in liberalizing online gaming laws in Europe for quite some time. The Italian flair for the dazzling and extravagant has given rise to stunning architecture in some of the world's most glamorous casinos.

Big brands lead the way
Without a doubt, the online casino that came up trumps in Italian gaming was JackpotCity Casino. This leading operator sports over 400 quality games and massive payouts.

In the online poker realm, it was Cool Hand Poker with its no pros, no hustlers and no sharks approach that powered the poker sector in Italy's bustling market in 2009.

Bingo has seen a dramatic revival in Italy. To this end PartyBingo has made significant inroads.

Record Jackpots
Italians have been extremely lucky during 2009. And it certainly helps that Italy is one of the most gambling-liberal countries in Europe.

A rather heart-warming story unfolded in August of 2009. In the small town of Bagnone - home to 2,000 inhabitants - a €2 Super Enalotto ticket purchase won a man a staggering €147 million jackpot.

The winning 6-number combination was 2, 16, 38, 67, 70 and 84. And according to the national lottery agency the chances of getting all those digits correct were only 1 in 622 million.

Big-Time Local Winners in 2009
All of the following were won over the year at Europa Casino:

• Luca A played Cherry Love on Nov 08 and won €437,780
• Salvo A  played Gladiator on Aug 23 and won  €332,745
• Stephi S played Bonus Bears on Feb 27 and won  €247,577

New Casinos
A heavyweight new entrant in the Italian online gaming world is Crown Europe Casino. This PlayTech powered gaming paradise is home to the world's most popular online casino games. Crown Europe offers generous sign-up bonuses and exclusive promotional offers and it's fast becoming an Italian favorite.

Business News
PartyGaming and Bwin are involved in merger discussions to create €2 billion online gaming operation in a far-reaching industry consolidation move.

Great New Products
JackpotCity Casino will release the Hellboy video slot on 14th January 2010. This Microgaming sensation is licensed to Dark Horse Comics and features a 5-reel, 20-payline multiple coin game with Wild and Scatter symbols.

Sports Betting
William Hill and Ladbrokes have licenses to take phone and Internet wagers across Italy. Big-time sports events in 2010 include the Serie A, continuing through to May 2010, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Regulation/Legality
Italian regulators have passed sweeping legislation to liberalize land-based and online casinos. The Italian government has auctioned off 17,000 licenses for sports and horse race betting at shops across Italy.

Looking ahead to 2010
Italian gaming continues to surge ahead and the interactive gambling market is posting strong gains leading into 2010. At the forefront of this charge is JackpotCity Casino, closely followed by Europa and William Hill.

And we leave you with Miss Italy 2009.