(Jamma) "We have formally asked to be heard regarding the new provisions that the Puglia Region intends to introduce through the regional law on pathological gambling but we have not even been received). This is what Domenico Distante denounces, vice president of Sapar and president of the Puglia delegation of the same association. A declaration that makes us understand the willingness to compare shown by the regional administration.
In fact, the Regional Council expects to vote tomorrow on the Proposal for a law to "Contrast the spread of the Gap" whose contents specifically concern amusement arcades and slots.
The president of the regional council Onofrio Introna explained in recent days that “the proposed law to combat gambling is entered as the first item on the agenda of the session already convened for Thursday 5. The councilor for health policies and the technicians are working on an amendment which will secure the health measures and levels of assistance relating to the treatment of chronic gambling addiction.
The pause that the Council took served to focus on a guarantee provision, to be included in the article which, returning to the attention of the Chamber on Thursday, will hopefully be approved unanimously. Against the scourge of gaming, the Puglia Region will be among the first in Italy to adopt a regulation governing the distance of halls and slots from sensitive places (schools, parishes, oratories, associations). But also of rehabilitation from addiction, a real disease”. In the break between the two board meetings which provided for the examination of the provision on the agenda, ample space was given to those who asked for interventions on the subject of slot restrictions, but no attention was paid to the hundreds of local companies operating in this sector. "We stand by all the militants for a just cause, the mothers of the Marconi school, the voluntary associations, the San Nicola and Santi Medici Anti-usury Foundation (because gambling addiction is accompanied by the scourge of usury, evidently), the whole community of believers” added President Onofrio.
Download the text of proposal-gamble-puglia
Download the text of law report
The text of Domenico Distante's interview with the NOON GAZZETTA
“We are tired of being criminalised. We are people who do business honestly and pay taxes. The gaming machine sector in Puglia alone employs about two thousand people”. Domenico Distante, deputy national vice president and Apulian regional president of Sapar Agis is not there and reacts to the campaign against gambling relaunched in Puglia by the Archbishop of Bari, Francesco Cacucci, who in recent days has appealed to the Puglia Region. The Apulian government accepted Cacucci's invitation, recalling that the adoption of a measure to limit the diffusion of "mini-casinos" is imminent, probably tomorrow.
What do you not like about the restrictions the Region is thinking about?
I think it's a hypocritical attitude. In addition to limiting the duration of the licenses by ruining our investments, we want to place a distance limit of at least 500 meters between our centers and schools and places of worship. However, forgetting that on any mobile phone or computer, anyone can connect to an online manager and play any type of game, without any type of control, starting with age. Minors cannot even enter our centres, on pain of, among other things, penalties that can reach 50 euros and even closure of the premises.
But there are people who really screw themselves up with slot machines.
In our centers everything is legal. There are also cameras that check that nothing forbidden happens. Setting a limit of 500 meters makes no sense. Because that same person can go, for example, to any tobacconist or newsagent where he can freely buy a 20 euro scratch card and play whatever he likes, not caring about the distance. Without forgetting the aforementioned online game where everyone, even children, can access without any controls.
And what do you think can be done?
We have proposed to the Monopolies to reduce the number of vending machines for each establishment but, instead, they have decided to publish a tender for the opening of two thousand new outlets.
And what do you ask of the Puglia Region?
We have already written requesting a hearing to explain our reasons. But we were ignored: they didn't even answer us with a no.
What does it propose?
I reply with a provocation. If the government wants to ban the game, do it. But then he must prohibit everything: even scratch cards, bingo, online gaming and all the rest. So we will go back to the past when we went to play in gambling dens and not in premises duly authorized by law where everything takes place according to the rules and where the managers before having the license must demonstrate that they have all the documents in place. I repeat, you want to hide behind a finger, it's a completely hypocritical position.
