Italy set to approve online betting exchange action

May 24 is the current implementation date for the new regulations, which will see suitable companies subjected to extensive testing and inspection by testing agency SOGEI before being let loose on the Italian betting public. However, the testing process is only scheduled to begin in July 2013, so practical exchange betting in the Italian market is unlikely to be in place until August or later.

The Italian market offers good potential to companies like Betfair and Betdaq; if accepted and licensed, they will be able to charge up to 10 % commission on matched bets, but will have to pay a 20 % tax on profits to the Italian taxman. Maximum winnings per bet on betting exchange activity have been capped by the regulator at Euro 10,000.

As with other forms of online gambling, the Italian market is ring-fenced, or dedicated, which restricts player liquidity. The Italian regulator has recently been in talks with its French and Spanish equivalents in a bid to consider the benefits of shared player pools but nothing concrete has yet emerged from these discussions.

Home-grown competition could be formidable; the Italian software and network provider Microgame has been talking about a betting exchange product for some time, and it has collaborated with Betdaq partner Global Betting Exchange in developing a proprietary product branded People’s IBEX.