(Jamma) According to the Espad Italia 2012 report, in three years, from 2008 to 2011, the percentage of Italians aged between 15 and 64 who has bet money at least once on one of the games on the market (Lotto, supernenalotto, scratch cards, sports betting, online poker, etc.) has passed by 42 47% to%. About nineteen million bettors, of which three at risk of gambling addiction. Mostly males, unemployed and people with a low level of education. The survey, conducted on a sample of eleven thousand people, as well as taking a snapshot of alcohol and drug consumption, X-rayed the universe of gambling. From the Cnr survey it clearly emerges that although social players, i.e. those without any risk profile, are the majority, those classifiable at low risk are already two million (11%). Those who, on the other hand, are starting to touch pathological addiction are about a million.
Among the bettors, many women: 7,5 million, equal to 38% of those who gambled at least once in 2011. They were 5,8 million in 2007. A great leap, even if the real leap is made by women over 45. Among the more mature players, the number of players who bet at least once has in fact doubled, going from 20% to 40% in four years. The identikit of the problem gambler shows that it is mainly males who develop a pathology. The most frequent educational qualification is the elementary school certificate. The 'typical' player is unemployed and, if he works, he has the job of worker; if instead he is classified as an independent worker, he has a precarious contract or is a freelancer. The most 'dangerous' places for men are amusement arcades, halls bingo, but also partly the recreational club, the mobile phone and the internet. A presumed loneliness unites the male player to the female players: they are separated, divorced or seeing each other.
The 'typical' players are in possession of a lower secondary school certificate; if employed, they hold a managerial role and have a permanent contract; while if they are self-employed they are entrepreneurs. The greatest risks are found among women employed in transport and communications: 5,1%.
In central-south you play more. Primacy belongs to Campania (57%), followed by Calabria (55%) and then Lazio, Sicily, Puglia and Abruzzo (they all account for about 53%). The regions where, on the other hand, less play is played than the national average (47%) are those of the North: Emilia Romagna first of all (41%), but also Trentino Alto Adige (42%), Liguria and Veneto (44%). Although gambling is more widespread in the southern regions than in the rest of the peninsula (Molise registers the highest percentage of gamblers: 13%), players with a moderate risk profile are not concentrated only in these areas. Where games are played less, such as Friuli Venezia Giulia for example, the share of players is much higher (8%) compared to the national average (5,3%).
FAVORITE GAMES
Il Lotto/Superenalotto together with the Scratch and win/Lotto instantaneous are among the absolute favorite national-popular games, with percentages ranging from 75% to 67% in the central-southern regions and which in practice are found, even if with slightly lower values, in the northern ones. Also particularly widespread in the south are the sports betting (30% respectively in Campania, Puglia and Basilicata; 24% in Calabria; 20% Sicily) together with other card games. In the north-western and north-eastern regions we observe important prevalence of players who are dedicated to Texas poker and slots (percentages over 10% in some cases), but sports betting is more widespread (between 17% in Liguria, 14% in Lombardy and 10% in the others). Men, in general, are more involved in sports betting (47%) and Texas poker (45%) while women play more in Scratch and win and similar.
WHERE TO PLAY – Il bar/tobacconist/pub is the chosen place to play the various versions of Lotto and Scratch Cards (80%). In the centre-south, compared to what happens in the rest of the country, many play at home or with friends: from 21% in the Marche region to 30% in Sicily. Important percentages are also recorded among those who frequent betting shops: from 15% in Molise to 25% in Basilicata. Even the traditional casino continues to be a place of attraction for players (from 11% in Piedmont/Valle d'Aosta to 21% in Friuli Venezia Giulia).
COLLATERAL ADDICTIONS – Then there is an aspect of the survey that opens up an interesting and significant glimpse into the profile of the gambler: around 6% of those who gamble tend to keep theirextent of its involvement. This attitude is slightly up on 2008 (5%) for both genders and all age groups. Unlike the moderate player, gambler consume more alcohol and, especially in the screening cage test (which measures the problematic use of alcohol), a greater number of problem gamblers is detected (26% against 8%). Similarly the gambler with a pathological profile more often encounters the habit of doing "binge drinking”, or the habit of making use of more alcoholic beverages in a very short period of time (16,5% vs 6%). The cliché of the cigarette in mouth to the avid gamer: 47% against 26% of the non-problematic. Also smoke hashish or marijuana it is more common among subjects with a risk profile than the rest of the more moderate bettors.
