In this article we will see what AAMS certification (or ADM certification) is in Italy, why it is mandatory and who is the entity that release this Italian gambling license.
What is AAMS?
The AAMS (Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato), the one who releases the AAMS certification, is a regulatory body that oversees a number of sectors, including gambling.
In the past AAMS dealt exclusively with tobacco and other monopolies related to gaming, such as National Lotteries, Lotto and Superenalotto. In recent years, however, falls within the tasks of AAMS also the regulation of the online gambling sector.
The purpose of AAMS is to certify the legality of the various operators and promote responsible gaming, therefore to monitor the online and offline gambling industry through a series of very restrictive laws.
As of today, in order to operate in the gambling industry in Italy, it is necessary to have the AAMS certification, which is issued only after several checks. Even after approval every company needs to undertake periodic and continuous controls.
AAMS certification: how to get the Italian gambling license?
Operators that wants to legally work in Italy must obtain the Italian gambling license, also known as AAMS certification. These companies must forward to ADM (Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli di Stato – Customs and State Monopolies Agency) an application accompanied by the game platform projects, and sustain huge costs.
The request made by the concessionaire requires:
- Certificate issued by an authorized verification body.
- Once the verification has been completed, the authorized verification body sends the ADM the message digests concerning the critical files.
- ADM makes available to the authorized verification body a specific feature to send the critical data, so that ADM controls can be performed immediately for security reasons.
The report contains the data relating to the assessment of the truthfulness of the information on the projects.
The “SGAD” section of the body deals with the certification of online platforms, in order to verify compliance with regulatory standards for the protection of players. Italian legislation provides that the assessment of compliance is renewed annually with constant monitoring during the year.
Are AAMS certification and ADM certification the same thing?
It is often possible to hear about AAMS and ADM as two separate entities, but the certification released is always the same Italian gambling license.
Why is the AAMS certification mandatory?
Online casinos must have the AAMS certification to operate in Italy. Casinos that are found not complying with the law, and are found not in possess of an Italian gambling license, will be blocked and legally prosecuted.
AAMS certification: created to protect the gamblers
So now we know what the AAMS certification is, what a company needs to do to obtain it and why it is mandatory.
But exactly, how does it protect the player?
- The casino won’t all of a sudden disappear with all the player’s money in the account.
- The platform on which the games are has been checked for possible safety issues.
- The casino follows the correct procedures to store all the personal information.
- The player can limit the amount of money to gamble in the month. Really important to protect the player from overspending.
- The RTP of each slot is set by AAMS and not by the provider.
- AAMS makes also sure the Random Number Generator works correctly.
- Every transaction done by the gambler on an AAMS certified casino is protected.
- Certified gaming sites must allow players to use at least three payment methods.
- Players must have access to customer and technical support in Italian. Operators are obliged to offer all necessary support to Italian players seven days a week.
- Minors cannot be accepted as players by licensed operators.
- Games and rules descriptions by online casinos must be understandable, clear and transparent.
After this list it’s not difficult then to understand why it protects the players.
It’s really important to always make sure the platform is safe and AAMS certified because, if it is, the chances to incur in problems are close to none.
Where to find AAMS certified casinos?
There are many platforms where is possible to gamble online, and between these it’s possible to find multiple AAMS certified online casinos in Italy. If you want to make sure the platform you want to play on is certified you can take a look at this list of AAMS Casinos.
Story by Riccardo Barbieri
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