A recent study published in the Italian Journal of Psychiatry entitled “The point of view of pathological gamblers on the reduction of damage and prevention: an observational study in the real world”, was conducted by Giovanni Martinotti, Mauro Pettorruso, Francesco Di Carlo, Ilenia Rosa and others, analyzed the opinions of pathological gamblers in Italy on the policies of reducing damage and prevention. Gambling disorder is recognized as a growing public health problem, with a significant impact both on an individual and social level. In Italy, the phenomenon is assuming worrying proportions, with an increase in the number of affected people and a regulation that seems ineffective in containing the risks related to the game.
The study, of an observational and transversal nature, involved 104 participants aged between 18 and 75, all with a certified diagnosis of gambling disorder. The data collection took place at clinical centers distributed throughout the national territory and provided for the use of questionnaires to evaluate the game behavior and the perceptions of the participants on current regulations. Among the tools used to confirm the diagnosis and evaluate their gravity, the South Oaks Gambling Screen (STESS) was used.
The results showed that 87.5% of the participants were male, the average Sogs score was 10.2, an index of a moderate to severe gambling disorder. On average, pathological players lose 44.4% of their monthly income in gambling and over half of the sample (51.6%) has accumulated debts due to this dependence. The most used forms of game were found to be physical slot machines (53.1%), online betting (50%) and bets in presence (43.7%). A particularly significant fact is that 75% of the participants practice more forms of gambling, with a 59.4% that uses online platforms. In fact, it seems evident that despite the physical and online game they are equally used, the only one to suffer important limitations, such as distances from sensitive places or hours of activity, is that game linked to the slots, while the online is always totally accessible without limits and grows exponentially.
On the regulation front, 71.9% of interviewees consider the current restrictions on physical game ineffective, while 70.6% claim that the online game allow you to get around them easily. In general, online gambling is perceived as more accessible (81.1%) and capable of offering longer game sessions (45.4%). These data suggest that current regulatory measures, focused mainly on physical gambling, could be inadequate to reduce the damage associated with gambling disorder.
The analysis of the responses indicates the need for a wider and more unified strategy, which regulates physical and online game consistently. Participants expressed the desire for more effective measures for the containment of the phenomenon, such as a more stringent regulation on digital platforms and a strengthening of prevention strategies. The absence of a coordinated approach that considers all the game modalities makes the current restrictions not very effective in limiting the risks of gambling disorder.
The study highlights the need for useful research to monitor the effects of regulations over time and better understand the evolution of the phenomenon.
The goal is to develop more effective prevention policies, capable of contrasting gambling disorder in all its forms and guaranteeing greater protection to vulnerable subjects. To date, the restrictions adopted by regions and municipalities are therefore rejected, both by the psychiatrists and by the players themselves.