IDV: Secretary Messina tomorrow in L'Aquila for the start of the collection of signatures against gambling
Salerno: betting agency without license seized
(Jamma) Countering the infiltration of organized crime into gambling and the spread of gambling-related pathologies. The Italian representatives of the liberal democratic group in the European Parliament are calling for it loudly Lorenzo Fontana and Matteo Salvini (in the picture) who addressed a question to the Commission to make it aware of the "serious criminal, social and health consequences that the proliferation of gambling is creating in Italy".
“Italian estimates regarding gambling indicate its progressive diffusion throughout the country.- explain the two MEPs – If in 2000 14 billion euros were spent in the slot machine sector alone and in other similar games, last year reached 85 billion. These numbers make Italy the third country in the world for money spent on gambling and the first at Union level.
Observing how a recent study, "Azzardopoli 2.0", published by an organization dedicated to the fight against the mafias and recognized by the Italian Ministry of the Interior as a free association, highlights the involvement of at least 49 different mafia clans in the management of illegal gambling dens and, sometimes, even in the hidden management of authorized casinos;
underlining also that over the last year, in Italy, ten different public prosecutors' offices have investigated the link between gambling and organized crime;
considering also that the phenomenon of gambling on slot machines has so far produced around 800 000 pathological gamblers and that another two million people are in a situation of risk and need treatment, prevention and social support from local civil and sanitary;
finally highlighting the content of the Green Paper (COM(2011)0128), in particular where the Commission intends to initiate "a public consultation on the regulation of on-line gambling services in the internal market [...] in order to achieve to a better understanding of the specific issues related to the development of online gambling services, both legal and "unauthorised" […]".
Salvini and Fontana then asked the Commission if "it is aware of the serious criminal, social and health consequences that the proliferation of gambling is creating in Italy and if, while recognizing the legislative powers of each Member State, it intends take urgent measures to promote a strong action against the infiltration of organized crime in gambling and against the spread of pathologies linked to gambling".
