Best Italy Online Poker Sites for December 2024
Before you join the best online poker sites in Italy, spend a few minutes reading what I’ve got to say.
As someone with more than a decade in the game, I not only know how to find great poker sites but how to extract maximum value from them. If you stick around, I’ll show you how to do the same as you play for $1 million prizes and more at Italy’s top poker sites.
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Best Italy Online Poker Sites Reviewed 2024
What are the best online poker sites in Italy? Based on my time at the tables and expert insights, these three Italian poker sites have style, flair, and features you’ll love.
1. CoinPoker – Best Italian Poker Site for Crypto Players
Key Facts
- Established: 2017
- License: Curaçao eGaming
- Payout Speed: <24 hours
Features Overview
- Poker Games Variety: 8/10
- Poker Tournaments: 9/10
- Traffic and Player Base: 8/10
- Software Quality: 9/10
- Betting Limits and Payments: 10/10
- Mobile Friendliness: 8/10
CoinPoker is my favorite online poker site in Italy for a variety of reasons, some of which are obvious and some of which aren’t.
The obvious benefits of using the Italy poker site are the fact that it offers 33% rakeback, has cash games ranging from $0.01/$0.02 to $1,000/$2,000, and pays at least $600,000 in tournament prizes on Sundays.
Those qualities alone make it one of the best online poker sites in Italy for beginners simply because there’s a wide range of games and plenty of added value. However, the reason I really love this site is its software.
It’s not the most polished Italian poker site. However, what it does have is unique blockchain-based software. This means the result of every hand is viewable on a public blockchain.
In addition to excellent game integrity, blockchains are decentralized networks used for crypto transactions. This means you can make anonymous, safe, and instant payments to your CoinPoker account. No other top-rated Italian poker sites offer these things.
Pros
- Play anonymously using crypto
- Instant withdrawals
- Publicly-verifiable random number generator
- Better-than-average rakeback worth 33%
Cons
- You can only use cryptocurrency
- Doesn’t offer Stud poker
- Anonymous poker with easy registration
- Get 33% rakeback every Monday
- Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies
2. BetOnline – Best Online Poker Site in Italy for Features
Key Facts
- Established: 2001
- License: Panama Gaming Commission
- Payout Speed: 24-48 hours
Features Overview
- Poker Games Variety: 8/10
- Poker Tournaments: 8/10
- Traffic and Player Base: 10/10
- Software Quality: 9/10
- Betting Limits and Payments: 7/10
- Mobile Friendliness: 8/10
The inherent beauty of BetOnline is the fact that it’s primarily a sportsbook. Why? Because it means the average poker player at BetOnline has less experience and, therefore, fewer skills than their counterparts at other sites.
I’ve experienced this firsthand at BetOnline’s Omaha tables. Don’t get me wrong, fishy players can win pots, and when they do, it’s frustrating. However, if you’re prepared to stay the course and let variance even out, BetOnline is one of the best online poker sites in Italy for soft games.
I like the fact you can make fiat and crypto deposits. The downside is that the native fiat currency is USD, which means you can run into issues as an Italian poker player. Specifically, some payment processors might charge currency conversion fees.
It’s possible that you might run into issues with declined transactions. This is rare, but if it happens, you can use BetOnline’s cryptocurrency deposit options instead.
The final quality that makes BetOnline a behemoth in online poker is its features. In addition to a six-figure bad beat jackpot, you can play up to eight tables simultaneously and post straddles in cash games. Best of all, you can throw virtual objects at opponents if they annoy you!
Pros
- $3 million in weekly tournament payouts
- Fun features, including straddles and throwables
- Multi-table on desktop and mobile
- Loyalty program offering cash and tournament tickets
Cons
- Doesn’t offer rakeback
- Traffic can dip at non-peak times
- Fast seating with Boost for zero waiting time
- Huge tournaments like Sunday Million and PKO's
- Solid traffic on Chico Poker Network
3. SportsBetting.ag – Best Italian Online Poker Site for Beginners
Key Facts
- Established: 2003
- License: Gambling Authority of Antigua & Barbuda
- Payout Speed: 24 hours to 15 days
Features Overview
- Poker Games Variety: 9/10
- Poker Tournaments: 8/10
- Traffic and Player Base: 9/10
- Software Quality: 8/10
- Betting Limits and Payments: 8/10
- Mobile Friendliness: 8/10
Like BetOnline, SportsBetting.ag is a top Italian poker site for beginners because of its soft games. The steady stream of fishy players means that cash games and MTTs with buy-ins under $10 are packed with profitable spots.
There aren’t as many mid- and high-stakes games at SportBetting.ag as other poker sites in Italy. However, if you’re a newbie, it’s a great place to hone your skills and win money before you take on higher-stakes games at other sites.
In line with what I’ve noticed about the overall vibe at SportsBetting.ag, there are plenty of freerolls. A lot of these freerolls have $100+ prizepools, which is higher than the industry average.
When you combine them with jackpot SNGs offering prizes worth more than $10,000, you’ve got a site that has a lot to offer Italian poker players trying to build a bankroll.
Pros
- Loads of soft games
- Plenty of variants, including 6+ Hold’em
- Offers Open Face Chinese poker
- Safe and reputable brand
Cons
- Sunday major has a small guarantee
- Slow withdrawals
- Fast seating with Boost for zero waiting time
- Huge tournaments like Sunday Million and PKO's
- Solid traffic on Chico Poker Network
Poker in Italy
Type “poker online Italy” or “poker Italy web games” into any search engine, and you’ll be presented with dozens of results. This alone tells us that Italian poker sites are alive and well.
However, in a world of fractured and ever-evolving gambling regulations, you need to know what’s legal and what’s not.
Italy Poker Laws and Regulations
Before we go any further, let’s take a look at the legal status of online poker in Italy. Indeed, it’s only worth talking about the best online poker sites in Italy if you can use them.
Is Online Poker Legal in Italy?
Yes, online poker is legal in Italy. However, there are some nuances you need to understand before you ante up.
Firstly, there are locally licensed online poker sites. These operators are regulated by the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM).
Alongside these Italian online poker rooms are offshore sites regulated by international organizations such as Curaçao eGaming. Both are legal and safe.
Therefore, as long as you’re using a regulated Italian poker site, you can be confident that everything is legit.
Future of Poker in Italy
The future of Italy poker sites will likely remain unchanged. Unlike other European countries that have been slow to legalize online poker, the Italian government has taken a proactive stance.
This means there’s a strong local online poker market, as well as international options. Although nothing is guaranteed in gambling, the status quo should remain in place for the foreseeable future.
Are Poker Winnings Taxed in Italy?
Yes, you’ll need to pay tax on poker winnings in Italy if you use locally licensed operators. As per the Agenzia delle Entrate rules, poker winnings must be reported along with any other income.
Poker players need to report the following pieces of information:
- How much they won from gambling.
- The source of their winnings (land-based or online poker, sports betting, or casino gaming).
- The net amount won (i.e., total income minus stake and losses.
One point worth clarifying is that offshore poker sites available in Italy don’t report to the Italian tax authority.
Italian poker sites won’t submit player activity (including deposits or withdrawals) to the Agenzia delle Entrate.
How to Play Online Poker in Italy
If you’ve heard enough and want to start playing online poker in Italy right now, here’s how to play poker safely and quickly at CoinPoker:
- Use our secure registration link.
- Tap “Register” to create an account and claim your welcome bonus.
- Download the CoinPoker app and log in.
- Tap the wallet icon to open the cashier.
- Choose a cryptocurrency to deposit funds.
- Open the poker lobby and filter the results by “Games,” “Buy-In,” and “Seats.”
- Find your ideal game, open the table, and ante up.
- Anonymous poker with easy registration
- Get 33% rakeback every Monday
- Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies
Italy is part of what’s known in online poker as a shared liquidity pool. This liquidity pool allows operators to merge players from different countries so they can play on a single site.
The caveat here is that operators need to be licensed in two or more of the countries within the liquidity pool to share players.
In this instance, Italy has a liquidity-sharing pact with France, Spain, and Portugal. Therefore, any online poker operator that’s licensed in Italy and at least one of the other countries can create a united network.
For example, if Poker Site A has a license in Italy and France, players in both of those countries can compete in the same games together. If, however, Poker Site A was only licensed in Italy, players could only compete against people within the same country.
Liquidity sharing hasn’t taken off in the way many hoped. It does solve the issue of ring-fenced playerpools to some extent.
However, there aren’t enough agreements in place to create the amount of liquidity needed to run major events, such as those available on internationally-licensed poker sites such as BetOnline.
Play Poker Games Online in Italy
OK, so you’ve gone through the digital doors of an online poker room in Italy and made your first deposit. You’ve got chips, and you want to play.
I’ve got some good news and some bad news in regard to gaming options. The bad news is that some variants, specifically Draw, Razz, and Mixed Games, are largely unavailable. Stud is available.
The good news is that the biggest Italian poker sites have plenty of Hold’em and Omaha options. In fact, as I’ll explain in a moment, there are a few surprises lurking in the lobbies of sites such as CoinPoker.
Hold’em
Everyone knows and loves Texas Hold’em. It’s the most popular variant, and it’s used for almost every major event, including tournaments on the Italian Poker Tour.
Each player receives two hole cards they can combine with any of the five community cards to make a ranked poker hand. No Limit is the most common format, but Hold’em can also be played as a Limit or Pot Limit game.
The reason most players, including me, love Hold’em is its complexity. By this, I mean the format is such that you’ve got plenty of scope to be creative. You can value bet, bluff, squeeze players out of pots, and do all manner of tricky things.
You don’t have this much freedom in games such as Draw and Stud, which is why tournaments on the Italian Poker Tour and beyond are Hold’em.
My Secret Tip: Try 6+
For those who want something a little different, I’d urge you to check out 6+ Hold’em. Available at BetOnline, this Hold’em spinoff is a short deck game. That means cards have been removed from the deck.
In 6+ Hold’em, all cards lower than 6 have been removed. This changes the value of certain hands and creates more action. Therefore, if you want something a bit different and don’t mind a bit of variance, try 6+ Hold’em at BetOnline and SportsBetting.ag.
BetOnline and SportsBetting.ag are among the best Italy online poker sites for Texas Hold’em.
- Fast seating with Boost for zero waiting time
- Huge tournaments like Sunday Million and PKO's
- Solid traffic on Chico Poker Network
Omaha
I’m a big fan of Omaha cash games because you get to play more post-flop pots than you do in No Limit Hold’em. There are two reasons for this.
Firstly, Omaha is primarily a Pot Limit game, which makes pre-flop all-ins much harder (unless you’re super short-stacked). Secondly, you have four hole cards instead of two.
Four hole cards give you more opportunities to make hands, which, in turn, gives you more reasons to see flops.
The other caveat to Omaha is that you must use two of your four hole cards. In Hold’em, you have the option to use both, one, or neither of your hole cards.
Having four cards, with the obligation to use two, creates a unique dynamic whereby it’s fairly easy to make low-ranking hands. This creates more action. On top of that, it’s easier for hands to get counterfeited, which means Omaha can be more volatile than Hold’em.
For these reasons, it’s the preferred variant for action-lovers like me. If that’s you, I’d suggest taking a look at CoinPoker’s 5-Card Omaha games. The addition of a fifth hole card opens up even more opportunities and creates even more action.
CoinPoker is the best Italy online poker site for Omaha.
- Anonymous poker with easy registration
- Get 33% rakeback every Monday
- Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies
Best Italy Online Poker Sites Bonuses
Poker is tough when variance isn’t on your side. The harsh truth is that you can’t do anything to stop bad luck other than making the right moves and sticking with it.
While you’re waiting for variance to swing back in your direction, I recommend claiming as many poker bonuses as you can. The best online poker sites in Italy run regular promotions that give you guaranteed ways to boost your bankroll.
The main offers to look out for when you’re playing real-money online poker in Italy are:
Sign Up Bonus
Sign-up bonuses are a warm welcome from the top Italy poker sites. As you’d expect, these offers are unlocked when you sign up for a new account. Therefore, you need to be a first-time user to get sign-up bonuses.
Some Italian poker sites give you bonus cash when you create an account (aka a no deposit bonus). Others give you bonus cash when you make an initial deposit (aka a deposit bonus).
In some instances, you can also get free tournament tickets. BetOnline has been known to give away a ticket or two to new customers.
Reload Bonuses
Any deposit bonus that isn’t for new customers is known as a reload reward. In other words, if it’s not a first deposit bonus, it’s a reward for reloading (aka adding funds) to your account.
The average Italian poker reload bonus is worth between 25% and 50% of your deposit. So, if you claim a 50% reload bonus and deposit $100, you’ll receive $50 in site credit.
Loyalty Rewards
The best online poker sites in Italy love loyal players. They express this love through bonuses and rewards.
Earning the affection of promo teams at Italian poker sites is a matter of making bets. Specifically, you earn loyalty reward points by playing real-money games and generating rake.
These points allow you to move through a variety of VIP tiers and unlock new bonuses. You can also convert loyalty points to cash payments and free tournament tickets.
Playing as much as you can is the best way to get maximum value from loyalty reward programs. However, as I always say, don’t put your bankroll at risk by chasing bonuses. Play responsibly at all times, even if you’re earning loyalty points.
Best Italian Rakeback Deal
My favorite way to earn extra money when I’m playing online poker is rakeback. Every Italian poker player who generates rake can earn rakeback if they use the right sites.
Of the three best Italian online poker sites for beginners, CoinPoker is the place to get rakeback. Before I explain why, here’s a quick overview of what rakeback is:
- Rake is taken from cash game pots and tournament entry fees.
- This rake contributes to the running of a poker site.
- Italian online poker operators return a percentage of the rake you generate.
- These rebates are known as rakeback and are paid into your account on a weekly or monthly basis.
The reason I recommend CoinPoker for rakeback is because you get a 33% rebate. That’s one of the highest rakeback rates I’ve seen over the last 10 years.
To put that in context, let’s say you generated $500 worth of rake in a week. Through CoinPoker’s rakeback program, you’d get $165 paid into your account.
That $165 is paid in cash, which means it can be withdrawn whenever you want. One thing to note is that CoinPoker requires you to stake its native crypto token, CHP, to unlock rakeback.
However, this is easy to do and, in my opinion, well worth it to get one of the best rakeback deals for Italian poker players.
Best Banking Options for Poker Online in Italy
There are various ways to make deposits and withdrawals at the top online poker sites in Italy. Credit and debit cards are widely available, as are bank transfers, eWallets, and prepaid cards.
However, if you want secure, fast, and guaranteed transactions, cryptocurrencies are best. I know the prospect of using Bitcoin seems daunting if you’ve never done it before, but trust me, it’s easy.
As long as you’ve got a crypto wallet, making deposits and withdrawals is a simple matter of copying and pasting a code. One of the major benefits of this process is that it allows you to remain anonymous.
In addition to only needing a wallet address and no personal details to make transfers, transactions on crypto poker sites are decentralized. This means they go from one person to another with an intermediary overseeing it.
Cryptography ensures that every transaction is legit, so don’t worry about that. The benefit of decentralization is that processing times are significantly faster than traditional payment methods.
What’s more, cryptocurrencies are universal. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you’re in Italy, the US, or Japan; the tokens are always worth the same amount. This makes Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies perfect for any Italian poker player wanting to use international sites such as CoinPoker.
Can I Play Poker Online in Italy With Euros?
USD is the default currency for virtually all online poker sites in Italy and the world at large, which means you don’t have many options to use the Euro.
Other than the inherent benefits of cryptocurrencies, this is one of the main reasons why I prefer to use Bitcoin, Tether, Ethereum, and other tokens. It gets around the whole currency conversion issue that can slow down transactions and incur fees.
I’m not opposed to using USD. However, if I can make fast, fee-free deposits using a universal currency such as Bitcoin, I will. This, again, is why CoinPoker is one of my favorite places to play poker in Italy.
History of Poker in Italy
Poker has been popular in Italy for centuries. Although political forces have waxed and waned on the legality of gambling, poker has been allowed to flourish. The major turning point for poker was the Finance Act of 2007.
The Act legalized games of skill, which meant Texas Hold’em et al. were now classed as legal forms of gambling. Online poker was initially ring-fenced, which meant Italians could only play against other Italians.
However, the 2011 Director Decree opened up the Italian poker industry to international operators and liquidity-sharing pacts. Today, online poker in Italy remains legal and, more importantly, popular.
Live Poker in Italy
There are plenty of live poker rooms in Italy, but the tournament scene has been stop-start over the years. PokerStars regularly hosted European Poker Tour (EPT) and Italian Poker Tour (IPT) events in Italy, but regulatory changes have reduced the frequency in recent years.
There is hope for a return in the near future, with PokerStars having announced a partnership with Casinò di Campione. In the absence of major poker events, local cardrooms run cash games as well as weekly tournaments.
Some of the best live Italian poker rooms are Casinò di Sanremo, Casinò di Campione, Brianza Poker Club, and Circolo Quattro Colli.
Top Italian Poker Players
The biggest Italian poker sites have become breeding grounds for talent over the last decade or so.
After seeing the likes of Dario Minieri move through the ranks online and become a WSOP champion, others have followed in his footsteps. Top of the current crop of talent are these three Italian poker pros:
Dario Sammartino
Dario Sammartino seemingly came out of nowhere to become the highest-earning Italian poker player in history. The man from Naples was taught how to play 5-Card Poker by his father, but he’s since found success in Hold’em. A second-place finish in the 2019 WSOP Main Event earned him $6 million, a prize he’s since parlayed into more than $16 million.
Mustapha Kanit
Mustapha Kanit honed his skills online and quickly found his niche in MTTs, winning some of the biggest events in the world, including PokerStars’ Sunday Million. This experience served as a launchpad for a live career that’s seen Kanit win over 10 major tournaments, nine of which had buy-ins over $10,000. To date, Kanit has over $12 million in live tournament earnings.
Max Pescatori
Max Pescatori, aka ‘The Pirate’, found lightning in a bottle during the poker boom. The right mix of talent and table presence made him a staple of poker shows in Europe and North America. Add more than $4.8 million to his tournament earnings tally and WSOP bracelets in a variety of non-Hold’em events, and Pescatori is rightly a highly regarded Italian poker player.
Conclusion
The best online poker sites in Italy have plenty to offer players at all levels, but they’re especially lucrative for new players.
Soft games are obviously attractive, as are things such as freerolls and jackpot SNGs. Beyond these qualities, the Italian poker sites I’ve recommended are great for beginners because of their promotions.
From loyalty rewards and free tournament tickets to 33% rakeback at CoinPoker, you’ve got endless ways to earn bonus credits that can offset a run of bad luck.
Wrap up all of this in safe poker sites built using cutting-edge technology, and you’ve got the ideal conditions for anyone wanting to have fun and, hopefully, win some cash.
- Anonymous poker with easy registration
- Get 33% rakeback every Monday
- Free from deposit & withdrawal fees on cryptocurrencies
FAQs
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References
- https://www.casinosanremo.it/en/ (Casinò di Sanremo)
- https://www.curacao-egaming.com/ (Curaçao eGaming)
- https://www.instagram.com/dario_sammartino/?hl=en (Dario Sammartino)
- https://x.com/mustacchione?lang=en (Mustapha Kanit)
- https://www.instagram.com/maxpescatori/ (Max Pescatori)
- https://www.agenziaentrate.gov.it/portale/ (Agenzia delle Entrate)