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Gambling in Italy has existed for centuries and has taken on many forms. The history of gambling in Italy dates back to the days of the Roman Empire, when the predecessor of the modern backgammon, Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum became popular among the Roman legionnaires. It is also due to them that the game came to other European countries.〔(Backgammon: Origins and Evolution )〕 It was in Venice, that in 1638 the first gambling house "Ridotto" was opened. It was sanctioned by the government aiming to control gambling activity of the citizens. Although the admission to that gambling house was free, only rich people could afford to play there, because the stakes were high. The games played were biribi resembling lottery and bassetta. Both games had a very high house edge. In 1774 "Ridotto" was closed which resulted in the growth of popularity of the closed gambling clubs. These clubs were called 'casinos', so the word 'casino' itself is of Italian origin.〔(Ridotto:start of casino history )〕 There is an opinion that baccarat was invented in Italy at the end of the 15th century by an Italian gambler Felix Falguerein.〔(The History of Baccarat Game )〕 Bingo is also of an Italian origin. In 1530s, the Italians played game called 'Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia' that resembled bingo.〔(Who Invented bingo? )〕 ==Gambling law== The Italian Criminal law proclaims gambling illegal, be it organized in a public place, an open-to-public place or a private club. At the same time, according to the Italian law, there's a difference between the games of luck and games where the outcome depends on the player's skills. Sports-betting, lotteries and some other activities fall into the category of legal and regulated gambling activities. Only the State has the right to allow gambling. AAMS (Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato – Autonomous Administration of the State Monopolies) is granted the power to issue licenses and regulate other gambling matters. The punishment for breaking the law ranges from fines to imprisonment.〔(Gambling and Betting Industry Under Italian Law )〕 Italy has come a long way from totally prohibiting all gambling activities, to legalizing some of them under certain conditions. The main reason why the Italian government adhered to strict rules was the desire to avoid the possible negative effects associated with the industry. The following amendments liberalized the market in 2006: *Legalisation of real-money skill games and betting exchange *Opening of the Italian gambling market to operators from EU and EFTA countries (on condition they meet certain requirements) *Opening of the new license tender that was supposed to rearrange the network of offline betting establishments and also providing possibility for online gaming operators to offer their services on a legal basis.〔(Online Gambling Regulation in Italy )〕 The Finance Act 2007 was another milestone in the regulation of gambling in Italy. It legalized card games of skill, specifying that such games should be played in the form of a tournament with the stake equal to the tournament entry fee. This automatically legalized "Texas Hold'em". Other poker games as well as video poker games based on the same rules were prohibited as being dependent wholly on pure luck. The "Comunitaria" decree (February 2011) was a real breakthrough for the gambling industry in Italy. It provided a regulation for cash poker games and casino games and also anchored changes introduced in the previous version of the decree. One of its most notable aspects was the new tax regime based on the profit rather than on the turnover. A flat rate of 20% was to be applied to all newly legalized games except the video lottery games. Operators organizing sports and horse betting, lotteries and skill games still had to pay 3% of total tournament buy-ins sold. Also, the new decree obliged operators to pay back to players at least 90% of the wagered money in the form of winnings. The maximum buy-in for a poker tournament was set at EUR 250 and the maximum initial stake for each gaming session could not exceed EUR 1,000.〔(Gaming Licenses and Casino Games – What You Need To Know )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Gambling in Italy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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