Yesterday, as part of the examination of the bill "Provisions regarding popular participation in the ownership of shares and quotas of sports clubs" signed by Molinari (Lega) and others, an order was presented in the Chamber of the day signed by Casu (PD), Vaccari (PD), Grippo (Action) and Caso (M5S) in which they asked for "a series of measures to strengthen the monitoring and prevention of the phenomenon of sports betting abuse and related gambling addiction phenomena, with particular reference to the protection of minors".
At first, the agenda received the favorable opinion of the Government with the following reformulation: "to evaluate the opportunity to launch a series of measures to strengthen the monitoring and prevention activities of the abuse of sports betting and the related phenomena of gambling addiction, with particular reference to the protection of minors".
“President, I am addressing, through you, the Minister, because I hope I have misheard the reformulation proposal and I would like that, on this point, there can be a political clarification with the Government – the deputy said in the chamber Andrea Casu (PD) -. With this agenda we ask for a commitment to adopt a series of measures to strengthen the monitoring and prevention of the phenomenon of sports betting abuse and the related phenomena of gambling addiction, with particular reference to the protection of minors. Faced with this, whether a technical reformulation is necessary aimed at expunging the first useful provision or rather linked to the fact that this provision... we can understand the reasons. What I truly consider unacceptable is the reformulation "to evaluate the opportunity to", since this agenda of ours has a political objective, namely that of dissolving an ambiguity, Minister. In fact, when you, even publicly, intervened several times to defend the right to betting and even to the advertising of sports betting, for our part, we strongly criticized a risk, namely that, through the possibility of betting, if not there is appropriate monitoring of abuse, it contributes to the immense social scourge of gambling addiction, which can also involve minors. Given that the formulation of our agenda is very balanced and goes in the direction indicated by Article 33 of the Constitution, when it invites us to recognize the educational, social and psychophysical well-being promotion value of sport, given that betting abuse means trampling on this principle and exploiting sport to fuel pathological gambling and other forms which, in fact, distort the objective of the Constitution, we would like at least that "evaluating the opportunity to" not be considered and be told that we all agree in the sense of going into the dimension of monitoring and combating abuse: at least on this we don't want a division".
“Even in this case, we are already in an already consolidated situation – replied the minister Andrea Abodi -. In the decree that the Government approved a few weeks ago, relating to the reorganization of the online sports betting sector, in particular, specific reference is made to the fight against gambling addiction and all abuses of sports betting. The same procedure will also be repeated for the reorganization of the physical sector. The third rule, which is foreseen and which concerns the coordination between the first two, will reproduce exactly the effect of what you are asking for. So, for this reason alone, we asked for a reformulation, but, in fact, we have already agreed, anticipating the effect of its agenda. That's fine with me, we can approve it as it has been formulated. I am addressing Parliament, but I make the commitment my own, underlining the need to at least equally combat illegal gambling. In fact, we are focusing on the legal one in relation to the pathology of gambling addiction, but I believe that an even stronger or differently strong commitment must be dedicated to combating illegal gambling which fuels the criminal economy".
The deputy's response is ready Andrea Casu (PD): “I intervene to thank the Minister and to say that naturally our criticism is directed towards all forms, in particular towards illegal gambling, which we want to condemn. If the reformulation went in that direction, we would accept it. So we thank him, because the fact that we removed "to evaluate the opportunity to" helped us resolve what could really have been an ambiguity".
The agenda then got the favorable opinion of the Government.
Below is the full text of the Agenda:
“The Chamber, given that: the management model of Italian sport in past years has suffered negative effects deriving from the persistence of losses in budgets and the loss of fans in attendance in the stadiums; with law 8 August 2019, n. 86 the Government was delegated to identify forms and conditions of share ownership and other instruments of popular participation for professional sports clubs; with the provision in question it is intended to introduce new models for sports clubs and to introduce into the legislation new tools to involve fans in the corporate structure of professional and amateur sports clubs; the proposal therefore establishes the necessary conditions for professional sports clubs to consider themselves subject to popular participation; in this context it is also necessary to start a discussion on interventions aimed at supporting sports practice, commits the Government to adopt, in the approval phase of the first useful provision, a series of measures to strengthen the monitoring and prevention activity of the phenomenon of 'abuse of sports betting and the related phenomena of gambling addiction, with particular reference to the protection of minors'.
9/836-A/14. Casu (PD), Vaccari (PD), Grippo (Action), Caso (M5S)
