If the bad news contained in the report “The Black Book of Gambling” were not enough, presented on July 3 by CGIL, Federconsumatori and Isscon Foundation, and built with the data of the Customs Agency and Monopolies after a series of access to the documents, another one was added to another: those news did not make news. THE 157 billion played in 2024i 21 billion lost (all records), the increase in online game with decrease in proportion to the revenue to the tax authorities, have passed as simple numbers. In Italy we play more and more, while the bands playing remain the same, the poorest. And also that dignity decree that in 2018 had put Italy at the forefront in Europe – in some non -European countries there are even more stringent prohibitions -, with the total ban on direct and indirect advertising, it is preparing to become barbed paper.
The numbers in summary – In 2024 the collection in Italy, that is the amount of the play, reached 157.4 billion, +6.6% compared to 2024circa 7.2% of GDP20 billion more than overall health expenditure. They are huge numbers considering that in 2019 there were 110 billion, in 2015 just over 88. The pro-bench collection, for each citizen with more than 18 years, reached 3,137 euros. The losses for Italians exceed 21 billion, corresponding to the average net income of 1,150,000 full -time workers and workers. Italians now spend almost as much as they spend to eat.
Above all grows theOnline gamblewhich has long exceeded the physical one, and increases by another 10 billion in 2024 (+12.2%) reaching the 92.1 billionagainst 65.3 of the different physical games, slightly decreasing on the previous year. The “overcoming of the online channel on the physical one concerns above all the center-south, where the organized underworld uses the regulators remotely as a convenient mode for the recycling of dirty capitals“The editors of the relationship write. The online active accounts have now exceeded 20 million, close to one every two citizens in the 18-74 year band, where almost all of the players are concentrated. In the report it is clarified that each individual player can also have dozens of game accounts, but in Italy they are estimated, in the online channel only, 4.5 million players active in 2024growing almost 10% on the previous year.
It is played less in the North (especially in the North-East), and of more southconfirming the “inverse relationship between the socio -economic situation and the increase in the harvest of the azzare” reads the report. Iserniathe smallest capital of Italy, is the first to played per capita online (4200 euros each), with a growth of 65% on the previous year, followed by Syracuse, Messina, Palermo, Salerno, Naples, Caserta, Reggio Calabria, Taranto and Teramo. All the top ten provinces are above 3,000 euros played each, in the 18-74 band, and all with important growth compared to 2023.
The existence of an Italian anomaly is then confirmed in Europe: for the gamble we have become the most important market in Europe and one of the most important in the world. The overall loss of the Italians in the azzard (21 billion euros) is higher than that of the United Kingdom and very distant from Germany and France (14 billion), despite the fact that the purchasing power of the families has contracted. An anomaly linked “to the illusory idea that a win can solve, in one fell swoop, their economic problems” write the editors of the report.
The vulnus in the data – These numbers don’t say everything. First of all because there are 40 billion, approximately, which are played illegallyaccording to estimates. And then because the data discussed were obtained through access to the documents, as mentioned. But after the first two editions of the “Black Book”, some arrived limitations In addition, on the numbers provided and available. In particular, the editors of the report did not get the data on small towns under 10,000 inhabitants, who in 2024 had made a lot of noise: it had been discovered that the centers where they had played more were anonymous provincial countries where the mayors were not aware of serious ludopathies. Anguillara Venetain the province of Padua (one of those in which it is played less in Italy) saw a per capita played of 13 thousand euros per inhabitant. In short, those numbers revealed in a rather evident way movements of unclear capital regarding the legal online game, movements on which they already hang investigations of the Guardia di Finanza and the Anti -Mafia Investigation Directorate. In any case, for this year it will not be possible to know what happened in small towns, with all due respect to transparency.
The ongoing reform and the “failure” of the prohibition – These are numbers that certify how the prohibition contained in Dignity decree has not had the desired effects. But it also happened because, in 2019 Agcom had given a very reductive reading of the law, claiming that all the advertisements that did not invite to play were lawful, but explained how the game worked and in particular the conscious game. Reason why already today The football series A it is a wedge of logos of sites that are called (almost) as sites in which you bet (for example with .sport instead of .com), but which are officially sports information sites. According to football clubs and companies in the sector, a therefore useless ban, which prevents you from promoting the conscious game.
“There is no independent and qualified study that supports the statement according to which the increase in illegal game was caused by the prohibition of advertising” writes the association Public noticewhich collects local authorities engaged in the culture of legality. There is not even an independent figure that explains what the conscious game is. Those who, like Caritas, take care of helping ludopaths, claims that in fact it does not exist, the risk is always around the corner.
But it can soon go worse. On March 5, the Culture and Education Commission of the Senate approved a resolution that commits the government to intervene on games and bets in the sports sector. It is aimed at eliminate the ban on indirect advertising (which in fact is not already operational), to give a part of the proceeds of the azard to the football system. But this government also has Abbogged the observatory on gambling of the Ministry of Health, and wants to lower minimal distances from schools, churches and speakers, and time limits in force for physical games. The reform has not yet been approved, given the strong resistances of the Catholic world, but the 21 billion lost by the Italians in 2024 are destined to be exceeded by a new record. Worse.
