The second edition of the “Black Book of Gambling. Mafias, addictions, young people”, edited by CGIL and Federconsumatori, in collaboration with Federconsumatori Modena and Isscon, highlights a worrying growth in online gambling in Italy. Based on data from the Customs and Monopolies Agency, the report describes how the expansion of gambling, both physical and online, has led to serious economic, social and health consequences.
The Sicilian provinces of Messina, Palermo and Syracuse are at the top of the national online gambling rankings, with an average expenditure of over 3,200 euros per resident in the 18-74 age group in 2023. Followed by Isernia, Taranto and Reggio Calabria. Also on the list of the ten worst are Naples, Salerno, Caserta and Crotone.
Among the provincial capitals, Isernia recorded a significant increase in per capita spending on gambling, going from 2,686 euros in 2022 to 4,143 euros in 2023 for each resident between 18 and 74 years old. Crotone and Reggio Calabria follow closely behind, signaling a worrying trend across southern Italy.
The “Black Book” reveals that in 2023 the province of Cosenza lost 74 million euros due to gambling, followed by Reggio Calabria with 62 million, Catanzaro with 36 million, Crotone with almost 19 million and Vibo Valentia with 17 .8 million. Overall losses increased in all five Calabrian provinces, with significant percentage increases: +12.1% in Catanzaro, +17.6% in Cosenza, +14.7% in Crotone, +15.4% in Reggio Calabria and +9.9% in Vibo Valentia.
The report by CGIL and Federconsumatori, with the support of Federconsumatori Modena and Isscon, raises an alarm about the serious effects of the expansion of online gambling in Italy, with a particularly heavy impact in the south of the country. This exponential growth requires urgent attention from institutions to mitigate the economic and social consequences of this rampant dependence.
