The Media and Entertainment Consulting Network (MECN) has recently published the findings of a research study on the Italian gambling industry, including both the online and off-line sectors. Beginning with the title cover of the report itself, which cites Italy as a "forerunner in the liberalisation of European gambling markets", MECN has published a very favorable analysis showing the Italian gaming sector to be filled with great promise.

It goes without saying that the Italian's have been quick to act in regards to the online gambling industry. Last year the government essentially turned on a dime when they said they would be embracing a track of online betting regulation and liberalizing their gambling market as a whole. Much of this was sparked by the Placanica case, which for those not in the know, resulted in a European Court of Justice ruling that Italian authorities were wrong to penalize Massimiliano Placanica - an Italian agent for the online gaming site, Stanleybet - for not holding a sports betting license from Italy.

Shortly following the ECJ ruling, Italian authorities announced they would be opening up the market and proceeded to issue 14,000 betting licenses, most of which covered sports betting and horseracing. Several well-known bookmakers shared in the bestowment of these licenses, including Ladbrokes, William Hill and BetFair.

The research report prepared by MECN concludes that yet another phase of liberalisation is planned for the Italian gambling market, which may likely include regulation of online casinos. Interviewing some seventy gaming operators with interests in the Italian market, the survey showed that two-thirds of these operators are expecting more regulatory liberalization in the very near future. Online gambling alone is expected to be worth €3.7 Billion by the year 2010, which is 240% percent growth rate from the current market assessment.