Piemonte region. Cattaneo: "The bartenders who remove slots are an example of civilization for each of us"
In Domodossola the bartenders promote the no-slot initiative
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(Jamma) All initiatives to combat pathological gambling, at any institutional level, are welcome. We can say that in these days a real task force against gambling addiction is being born". This was stated by Viviana Beccalossi, Councilor for the Territory, Urban Planning and Soil Protection of the Lombardy Region, appointed by President Roberto Maroni to coordinate the working group that led to the approval of a draft law by the Council to combat this serious social phenomenon. To this has been added a Bill to the Parliament, which completes the prevention and contrast action, extending it to the competences of the State.
"The appeal launched a week ago to President Letta, to the competent ministers and to all the parliamentarians elected in Lombardy - added Viviana Beccalossi - is bearing fruit: in recent days I have been contacted by deputies and senators of various political sides interested in support our proposed law against gambling excesses”.
Among other things, the Bill of the Lombardy Region establishes a minimum distance of 500 meters from playrooms to sensitive places such as schools, hospitals, youth centres; involves local health authorities and consumer associations for prevention and treatment activities; obliges the owners of game rooms to attend courses, to whom a special license is issued at the end. The Bill in Parliament, on the other hand, calls for the national servers that regulate gaming and the use of the National Health Card to be turned off at a specific time to prevent minors from accessing the machines.
“Awareness on the subject – concluded Viviana Beccalossi – is now widespread, as evidenced by the initiative of the Municipality of Milan, which gave a certificate to a merchant who gave up slots in his establishment. In these days, together with the regional councilor for Education, Training and Work Valentina Aprea, we are finalizing the details of the ideas competition reserved for lower secondary schools in Lombardy, to create a 'slot free' logo, of a regional nature, which we will present with the reopening of the school year and which will be destined for all commercial establishments that decide not to host slot machines".
