Italian regulator Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli de Stato (AAMS) has made headlines in recent weeks following its decision to block Italian casino players’ access to offshore online gambling sites. Controversy this week intensified after Italian media reported that the regulator has to date disregarded an order by the Court of Rome to lift its ban on online gambling site, Astrabet.

Astrabet initiated legal proceedings against AAMS for allegedly failing to follow correct legal procedures for imposing the ban. The Court of Rome subsequently found in favor of the online gaming company and ordered that the block on Astrabet’s internet traffic be lifted.

Despite the court’s decision being announced on April 10, Astrabet have accused the AAMS of failing to comply. Further litigation is expected to force the Italian regulator to obey the ruling.

AAMS has presented its own case to the Court, requesting an appeal against the ruling against it and has requested the judge to suspend his decision on the blockade. The appeal was accepted and a new hearing scheduled for 29 May. However, he refused to accept the regulator’s argument for why the ruling should be suspended, encouraging Astrabet’s claim that its site should no longer be subjected to the ban.
The decree by the AAMS first made headlines in March when it issued a directive to Italian internet service providers, forcing them to block traffic to hundreds of online gambling sites. The decision received widespread condemnation and threats of legal action from the Lotteries and Gaming Authority in Malta and from several well-known international online gaming operators.

Astrabet, however, was the first online gambling firm to initiate legal proceedings and as such, has set a valuable precedent for others. According to a spokesperson for the company, the AAMS’ failure to comply with the Court’s ruling constitutes a serious offense. “AAMS is disobeying a Court Order issued in the Court of Rome on 10 April and we will be launching further litigation to enforce compliance,” he said.

Despite requests for a statement from AAMS, Giorgio Tino, the direttore generate, has so far remained silent on the issue.

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