THE GAMBLING PANDEMIC

THE GAMBLING PANDEMIC
The government earns approximately €10 billion annually from gambling. It's a business only on paper: revenues are lower than social and healthcare costs, and organized crime has infiltrated the market. The sector must change course to ensure a better balance between business needs, health, and public safety. In Italy, 18 million people gamble at least once a year, and over a million and a half of them are unable to manage the money and time they devote to gambling. Gambling Disorder (DGA) has devastating effects on people's lives, but that's not all. Organized crime has heavily infiltrated the legal gambling sector for money laundering purposes, simultaneously fueling a parallel market of illegal gambling. With contributions from experts, professionals, public service workers, entrepreneurs, and journalists, this book addresses all aspects of this "gambling pandemic": the lack of comprehensive legislation, the rise of online gambling, illegal and underage gambling, the pervasiveness of mafias, and the consequences of COVID-19. It then offers state and local authorities concrete guidance for implementing potential reforms and actions to prevent the phenomenon. The authors, Claudio Forleo and Giulia Migneco, are members of Avviso Pubblico, a national association that connects 530 public entities, including local authorities and regions, committed to preventing and combating mafias and corruption and promoting responsible citizenship. For more information: www.avvisopubblico.it (http://www.avvisopubblico.it/home/). This updated ebook was produced thanks to funds from the Adventist Church's Otto per Mille (Eight per Thousand) for the "If This Is a Game" project.