Becoming one of the biggest and fastest growing gambling industries is easier said than done; nevertheless, Italy is on its way to becoming one of Europe’s most attractive gambling venues. The country’s gambling operators generated around $120 billion in 2012.
The fast-paced development also comes with the price of updating the number of video slot machines, improving the country’s gambling policies and also learning how to treat problem gambling.
The booming addiction rates hadn’t been a trending topic in the Italian media before the financial crisis started to hit harder. Ironically, the tight financial situation is producing more bookies, betting venues and online casinos around the country.
The number of Italians with a serious gambling dependency has reached an astonishing 800,000 people making it the third country in the world with the most amount of gambling addicts. The first and second are Singapore and Australia respectively.
Increasing revenues needing more Responsible Gaming
The Italian gambling industry is responsible for over $8 billion in tax revenues with the government backing up the licensing procedure and looking forward to expanding the industry. By February, the Italian government expects to issue over 1,000 new licenses.
The president of the Italian Gambling Commission, Matteo Iori, said,Italy is becoming the wild west of gambling nations… [but]Italians are burdened with an economic crisis that has paradoxically stimulated many to seek fortune to escape the economic difficulty.”
Pensioners in Italy represent the majority of problem gamblers, which is a clear sign for the government not just to regulate the casinos but also to develop a gambling culture that would draw a line between entertainment and addiction.
Yet, Italian health centers and insurance companies don’t consider problem gambling a pathological addiction, which makes it difficult for gamblers to seek help. Nevertheless, some small support groups have recently started to offer help to gambling addicts while expecting the government to take action and solve this social issue.