Ladbrokes Casino Grabs a Pizza the Action

All roads lead to Rome for UK bookmaker in the wake of a disastrous attempt to set up an Italian retail shops business. The new website will initially offer Texas Hold’em tournaments in compliance with Italy’s gaming regulations before launching both its casino and bingo games later in the year.

Ladbrokes is responding to positive changes in Italian legislation which are opening new markets for online gaming operations.  Cash poker games, as well as bingo and casino games will soon be available to the Italian market.

Ladbrokes initially won Italian retail betting licences in 2007 and launched more than 140 shops. However, the business announced in August that it was putting them up for sale, blaming tough competition and underground operators.

Italy is widely tipped to be the most fertile European gambling market in 2010, in spite of next year’s eagerly anticipated semi-liberalisation of the French market.

Ladbrokes is also hoping to be one of the first companies to win a national online gambling licence in Spain. Currently, gambling in Spain is monitored at a regional level.  The Madrid government is proposing a national regulation system which is due to start at the end of 2011.

Chris Bell, chief executive, said: “We are committed to expanding the international reach of our online business and Italy is an excellent regulated market opportunity.

“We hope that further positive changes in regulations in Italy will allow us to further expand our product range by launching cash games in poker, as well as bingo and casino gaming later this year.“