Gaming machines

The regulation of amusement machines is the responsibility of the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency.
The Customs and Monopolies Agency over the years has regulated the sector in all its aspects, paying particular attention to technical characteristics, game functioning and parameters and requirements to respect when installing AWPs and VLTs in commercial contexts.

Other important actors involved in this sector are licensees, managers (owners of the devices and/or people responsible for collecting proceeds), retailers, manufacturers and importers of gaming machines, as well as municipal administrations and police forces.
 

Amusement with Prizes

AWPs are electronic devices that pay out cash prizes. They consist of a cabinet and a game card which, jointly, are approved by the certifying bodies, representing the Customs and Monopolies Agency and registered in the list of certified models.

Each device has a game card installed inside which interacts with the licensee’s system through an access point. The payout for each single device must be at least 68% and is calculated on 140,000 games. No minimum bet is required, while the maximum cost of a game is €1. The highest possible winnings is €100 and there is no jackpot.

 

Video Lottery

VLTs are the latest equipment in the gaming industry and can be considered an evolution of traditional AWPs.
They are real terminals connected to a central game system and therefore have no "game card" installed; the game and the outcome of the bet are calculated on the central system and is then displayed on the VLT screen.
The payout is at least 85% and is calculated over a cycle of approximately 5,000,000 bets.
The minimum bet is €0.50 and the maximum bet is €10.
The maximum payout is €5,000, but a national jackpot (up to €500,000) and local jackpots (up to €100,000) are possible.