(Jamma) "Puglia really didn't make a good impression for us to postpone the vote on the proposed law against pathological gambling" said the Apulian regional councilor Franco Pastore (Misto - Psi) in a note with the request that the regional council gets back to dealing with it as soon as possible.
“But the fact is that – continues the councilor – if we go into the merits of that pdl it is insufficient to really combat gambling, just a start, perhaps a good start, provided that it starts. At the risk of seeming unpopular, for those who obviously have special interests, I would like to see the gaming rooms, slots and all the rest closed and, at least, I would look for a way to limit access as much as possible. Puglia is the third region in Italy for the number of 15-19 year olds who gamble. So much for bans! And who controls, who sanctions, who supervises? If the main interest is to let people play, for heaven's sake "in moderation", says the bigoted advertising promoted by the Italian State, there will never be the same interest in discouraging that activity. The State has granted her a "legal" license and it doesn't matter if it damages and ruins everything, life, family, relationships, work. The state and many powerful people profit from it. There are politicians and lobbies in which the former are involved, very influential and strong at the basis of all this. I will commit myself on an institutional level so that as soon as possible the debate on this problem and the approval of the law against gambling are returned to the Chamber. On the civic level, as a citizen, I would like the Apulians to concretely engage in an action to combat gambling, which, let's not forget, then involves many other activities, from the illicit ones of organized crime or, often, of Gold, whose purpose is to launder money”.
