“One of the problems of regulated gaming today is certainly that of the limitations with distances from places considered sensitive which have been introduced over the last ten years through fragmentary legislation, therefore in the absence of legislation at a national level”. This is what was specified today by the lawyer Elisabetta Gregni, Legal & Regulatory Affairs Manager Novomatic Italia who spoke at the conference entitled "Gaming Halls: entertainment, sociality and responsible consumption" organized by EGP Fipe and which was held during Host, the world fair dedicated to the sector of catering and hospitality.
“This fragmentation introduced with regional laws has meant that each region has regulated the territory with its own rules, even very different from those of the adjacent regions. Which also led to great competition between the same companies precisely because there was a movement of consumers from one municipality to another, from one region to another. What we hope is that the reorganization, which should arrive in the next two years, can instead bring about homogeneity of rules across the territory precisely to give all companies the certainty of investments. In some regions, minimum distances of 500 meters from sensitive places have been established, in others 200 metres. And when I talk about sensitive places I am referring to schools and universities, but also to hospitals. With even surprising variations, for example cemeteries have been considered a sensitive place. Then we all have smartphones at our disposal where obviously no distances are foreseen for the user, we access a sort of zero kilometer offer. Just as we have legal gambling and illegal land-based gambling, online there is legal and illegal. And that's an important differentiation to make. Even on online platforms, as the news has reminded us in recent days, there is illegal gambling, which is why regulation is important. As a company we are focused on paying attention to the customer, including those who may develop particular risks of gambling addiction or problem gambling. In our opinion, presence and sociality in the land-based game must however be supported and guaranteed", concluded Gregni.
