Italy iGaming Generates €575m in H1 2017

According to estimates provided by Ficom Leisure, Italy’s online gambling market generated €575 million during the first half of 2017, and is now on track to surpass €1 billion in revenue for the first time ever by the year’s end.
Encouragingly, the country’s lucrative sports betting market saw its gross gaming revenues soar in June by an amount 18% higher compared to the previous month, to complete H1 of 2017. Heading the sector over the past six months was Bet365 with a roughly 20% share of the market, while Planetwin365 managed to wrestle a 4% share away from rival operators Sisal, Lottomatica and Snai.
Meanwhile, Italy’s online casino vertical is now dominated by PokerStars, which currently commands an 8.5% share of the market, after pulling ahead of the longtime leader and national lottery brand Lottomatica. PokerStars’ accomplishment is particularly impressive considering that the operator only launched its casino product in the country as recently as 2015, with the brand successfully attracting more customers through its dedicated app, Stars Rewards program, as well as a wider selection of casino games on offer.
Commenting on the operators continuing success in Italy, Bo Wänghammar, Managing Director of PokerStars Casino, stated: “These results show that we are continuously growing and are on track to becoming Italy’s favourite i-gaming destination. However, we don’t just want to match the best casinos out there, we want to surpass them. We plan to continue improving our casino offering including by expanding our selection of top games, enhancing our VIP program, expanding customer acquisition efforts, and introducing an improved mobile casino app.”
In addition, UK bookmaker William Hill has also been making headway in the Italian online gambling industry, and currently enjoys a 5.8% share of market
Looking ahead, Italy’s plan to curb the number of land-based slot machines and video gaming terminals in the country next year, which could also provide a further boost for online gaming operators, as players may ubsequently become more motivated to seek out their favorite gambling games online.