(Jamma) – In the society of excesses what is perceived today as the greatest danger seems to be the habit of dedicating time to play. So much so that even local administrators, in addition to politicians in Parliament, are mobilized to fight a phenomenon considered emergency, a priority over any other type of intervention in social policy. Too often, unfortunately, such a rapid and generalized approach lacks specific skills and the treatment of the presumed pathology, performed in a superficial and uninformed way, causes worse consequences than the evil it is intended to fight. Lorenzo Musicco, honorary president of the SAPAR association as well as a well-known Lombard entrepreneur, entrusts Jamma with an appeal to the institutions to discriminate between demagogy e correct treatment of the gambling phenomenon.
"First of all – observed Musicco – it should be noted that when we talk about gaming, we cannot mean exclusively the Newslot as the Newslot is only one of the many products of the public offer. Video lotteries are much more dangerous, a completely different game than Newslots even if many cannot perceive the differences. There is the Gratta e vinci, where you bet in shots of 50 euros at a time, the Lotto, the Superenalotto, bets and a galaxy of games that can be accessed online from anywhere in the peninsula, even through mobile phones. I would also like to underline that the products that allow you to gamble in Italy are authorized and regulated by the Italian State. If there is the feeling, which has already been repeatedly denounced by the operators who manage the Newslots, of an excessive gaming offer, who holds the bank – that is always the State – can intervene to reduce commercial aggressiveness of the products in his portfolio, but he does not have to withdraw his offers under any circumstances. Otherwise those who play, for fun or in an excessive and pathological way, will turn to the market by accepting those illegal or unregulated offers that have never ceased to bring profits to criminal organizations.
The computer network that connects it in real time to SOGEI, the devices and the control activities foreseen, make the Newslot device a garrison of the State and of legality in public exercise. Removing the Newslot means giving up on legality".
The reference goes to the recent initiatives to limit the territorial distribution for establishments that promote the Newslot offer, initiatives that forget all the other games. “Remove the Newslot from the neighborhood – Musicco explains – means leaving empty workstations that will soon be filled with unregulated devices, whose collection data will no longer be known nor will they ever produce taxable income".
"It's about that – continues Musicco – that I launch my appeal, also on the basis of my experience gained in over 50 years of activity, not only to defend the work of more than 7.000 small management companies (with an average of 7 employees) or le 100.000 VAT numbers of bars and their employees who contribute with taxes, directly on the collection first and with those on incomes subsequently, to the Treasury".
The money received from regulated gaming has served more than one good cause, including the restoration and care of the state's artistic and cultural heritage. “But beyond the type of intervention they contribute to realizing – claims Musicco – the amounts of taxes on games proportionally quantify the expenditure of the players, so the regulating state can modulate the characteristics of the games in order to reduce the risks by offering less gambling and more fun".
"Intervene on distances from sensitive places – asks Musicco – what meaning can it have when there are games that can be accessed remotely through the mobile phone? Or how can one think of promoting as rational a provision which limits the gaming offer of a bar while leaving the tobacconists located in front of the door of a church free to sell scratch cards?".
"And the scratch cards – observed Musicco – they are everywhere, sold at bank branches and in post offices, even at supermarket checkouts. If there were no legal ones, however there would be others. In a market economy, prohibition has never solved the problems. Limiting supply geographically is like repeating the same silly mistake the United States made with alcohol!".
"In my life I have met many politicians and parliamentarians and – concludes Musicco – I learned that certain initiatives are often inspired by the good faith of those who promote them. Just as often what is missing is the real perception of the phenomenon, therefore with my appeal I invite the institutions, in particular the Customs and Monopolies Agency which is responsible for managing the sector, to reflect on the situation and promote greater information on the game public. Finally, I ask the operators of the sector: let us remain united and develop common campaigns, otherwise this anti-gambling sentiment will cancel our activity and create the conditions for a return to the widespread illegality known at the time of video poker".
