(Jamma) "Parliament's centrality must be reaffirmed in the matter of gambling". This was declared by the honorable Member of the M5S Andrea Cecconi who in the Social Affairs Commission of the Chamber recalled on this issue about eighteen bills have been presented - some of which have yet to be assigned - so the interest that it arouses among the various parliamentary groups.
Cecconi then recalled what happened in the Senate in the session of last September 5, in which some motions on the same subject were discussed. In that circumstance, with the contrary opinion of the competent undersecretary, a motion presented by the Northern League was approved, which commits the Government to quickly approve a twelve-month moratorium on online gambling and electronic games, while Motion No. was rejected. 139 of the Movimento 5 Stelle, which foresaw the total ban on advertising of gambling, the raising of the taxation on the relative proceeds and the modification of the regulation of the concessions in the sense indicated by the report presented in 2010 by the Anti-Mafia Commission.
"From the elements available - including some provisions contained in the decree-law n. 102 of 2013, which provide for facilitations for the settlement of disputes in favor of some gaming concessionaires (AC 1544) - and, above all, the analysis of the provision in question, I believe that there are valid reasons to doubt that there is Government to intervene against gaming concessionaires, even though it is a sector in which there are collusions with organized crime.
The State behaves in a certain way towards drug addicts, and in a completely different way compared to subjects addicted to pathological gambling, evidently not wanting to harm the economic interests pertaining to this sector, since, according to the estimates, eighty-six million euros, deriving from gaming and betting, go partly to the concessionaires, partly to the treasury.
He therefore notes that the State concentrates all its interest on revenues linked to gaming rather than engaging in capillary information activities on the risks that excessive recourse to gaming entails.
Going into the merits of article 14, in addition to the perplexities expressed by the rapporteur regarding paragraph 2, letter a), further critical aspects should be highlighted with reference to: the provision contained in paragraph 1 of article 14, for which no the current organizational model based on the concession and authorization regime is being questioned; the content of letters d) and e) and h); letter m), especially in the part where it does not specify whether in the territorial rationalization of the gaming collection network the offer should be decreased or if, on the other hand, it can even be increased with respect to the current volume; letter q), as he believes that the expression «public games» lends itself to possible misunderstandings”.
Lastly, Cecconi reiterates his hope that the process of the legislative proposals on the prevention and treatment of addiction to pathological gambling, which the Social Affairs Commission has begun examining, can continue and be completed within quick".
