Italians love to gamble
Italians gambling

Online and Mobile Gambling Industry Raked in €749 Million in 2012

It’s a fact: Italians love to gamble more than they love to go to the football, to go to the cinema, or to go to the theatre, it has been announced. At the key of the whole shebang is the power of mobile casinos.

In 2012, Italians spent a whopping €749 million playing online and mobile casino games and on sportsbooks. Meanwhile, they spent €100 million less than that on going to the cinema, and three times less on going to the football!

The figures follow a study by the Observatory of Online Game of Milan Polytechnic, and the findings pour more fuel onto the fire of mobile gambling. Games developers are stepping up and taking notice of the situation, such as mobile slots developer Net Entertainment, who have just agreed a deal to enter the market.

The revenue was also €14.5 million up on 2011, and one of the key factors has been the rise in the number of games available, as well as the range. This is despite the fact the Italian government tried to shut down online gambling for 12 months earlier this year. The EU stepped in, however, ruling the legislation illegal.

The average Italian gambler is male, between 25 and 44 years old, and comes from South or Central Italy.