(Jamma) The Government was defeated in the Senate floor in the vote of a motion by the Northern League which forbids the opening of new online electronic gambling centers and in places open to the public for one year. A binding agenda was subsequently voted on the executive to "provide for a moratorium for new authorizations pending the reorganization and planning of the entire system".
The approval of the motion is welcomed with satisfaction by Codacons. “The lobbing action of Codacons and of the parliamentarians who together with the association are fighting against gambling has prevailed over the mere economic interests of the State and sector operators – explains the president Carlo Rienzi – Now, in the light following the passage of the motion by the Northern League which commits the Government to launching a 12-month moratorium on online gambling and electronic gambling systems in public places and open to the public, we ask for the immediate blocking of the Videolottery halls present on the territory, until the government issues the expected decree on the prevention of gambling addiction". Codacons then criticizes those who claim that the motion approved today will cause damage to the state coffers, estimated at six billion euros and linked to the rights of the concessionaires who have won the tenders. “It is absurd and immoral to state that, because of this provision, the revenue will suffer a heavy reduction – explains Rienzi – On the contrary, the State will earn a lot, considering that the social costs linked to gambling and gambling addictions almost 7 billion euros, and that a single pathological gambler costs the State 38 thousand euros a year".
The Code speaks of an important step but poses some questions: what will happen after the year of prohibition? Will everything go back to the way it was before? “Then there is the problem of concessions – says the association – How do we deal with the conflict that has arisen in this way with the managers who have already been awarded the concession? The entirely legitimate fear is that good intentions remain just intentions and that the limit to the opening of slot rooms is not so insurmountable, at least for that part of managers who had already moved in this direction”.
Another theme concerns the advertising of gambling, which the Code would like to be completely prohibited. "We learn that the motion that intended to totally ban the advertising of gambling was not approved - comments the association - Unfortunately, this motion was of more than relevant importance and effectiveness according to the Code, which recently presented a bill region that also addresses the issue of advertising. In particular, the association has proposed a total ban on advertising relating to the opening and running of amusement arcades”.
