Caserta The province of Caserta stands out, unfortunately, for an unenviable record: ten of its municipalities are among the top one hundred in Italy for per capita spending on gambling. This data emerges from the “Black Book of Gambling 2024” dossier, promoted by the CGIL and the Federconsumatori, which analyzes the data relating to 2023 made available by the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM).
The gambling situation in Italy is worrying, but even more alarming is the picture that emerges for the South, with Campania at the forefront. The region, together with Sicily and Calabria, recorded online gaming per capita exceeding 2,000 euros, well above the national average of around 1925 euros. In particular, the province of Caserta shows an average expenditure of 2916 euros per capita, a figure that places ten of its municipalities in the national top 100 for gambling expenditure.
Capodrise leads the sad provincial ranking with an expenditure of 5068 euros per capita, placing it in tenth place nationally. Continued Villa Literno with 4590 euros per capita (14th place), Casal di Principe with 4161 euros (23rd place), e Saint Cyprian of Aversa with 3975 euros (31st place). Other common ones like Marcianise (3559 euros, 51st place), Teverola (3533 euros, 55th place), Trentola Ducenta (3414 euros, 71st place), Santa Maria a Vico (3409 euros, 72nd place), Aversa (3361 euros, 81st place), e San Felice a Cancello (3270 euros, 94th place) complete the list.
Even the provincial capital, Caserta, is not exempt from the phenomenon, placing itself in 22nd place in Italy with a per capita expenditure of 2665 euros. These numbers are the symptom of a real social emergency affecting the region.
“This situation is intolerable,” thunders Giovanni Berrito, President of Federconsumatori Campania. “Our region is facing a real social emergency linked to gambling. The numbers speak for themselves: gambling is destroying families and communities, increasing debt and encouraging usury. Immediate and coordinated intervention by the institutions is necessary to stem this devastating phenomenon. Anyone who denies that an emergency exists is either blind or complicit, there are no other explanations.”
Berrito also expressed concern about the suppression of the Permanent Observatory for combating the spread of gambling. “We can no longer allow gambling to be seen only as an economic issue. It is a public and social health problem that requires urgent and concrete measures. We ask for greater transparency in the dissemination of data, stricter control over operators in the sector and awareness campaigns to inform citizens about the risks of gambling.”
Berrito’s words resonate as a desperate appeal in a situation that appears increasingly out of control. The province of Caserta, and the entire Campania region, must urgently address this social emergency, to protect families and local communities from a phenomenon that is causing incalculable damage.
