Italians, the most passionate about gambling! Gross income 21.5 billion euros in 2024! 43% of adults have played at least once a year

Italy has become Europe's largest gambling market, with revenues of €21.5 billion by 2024 and a rapid growth in online gambling. Behind this lucrative industry lies a dark reality of addiction, family breakdown and mafia influence in the country's poorest areas.

When Luciano entered a rehabilitation center in Pisa, the only thing left of his years of gambling were the clothes he was wearing.

He had lost everything else, his homes, his savings, and his dignity.

"I played in casinos, all over Europe. I lost everything," says the 69-year-old, a former railway worker.

His story reflects the dark side of a growing phenomenon.

According to Reuters, Italy has become the largest gambling market in Europe, with gross revenues reaching 21.5 billion euros in 2024, surpassing Britain, Germany and France.

Revenues from gambling taxes alone reached 11.5 billion euros, almost as much as those from tobacco.

The growth of the industry has filled state coffers, but has put Giorgia Meloni's conservative government in difficulty.

The Catholic Church warns of the devastating consequences.

 Gambling destroys lives and relationships, so a concerted effort is needed to curb it, declared Cardinal Matteo Zuppi.

Betting is more widespread in the poor and mafia-influenced south, while anti-mafia authorities consider the sector a suitable ground for money laundering.

According to the National Research Council, 43% of Italian adults have played at least once a year, while around 1.1 million spend more than an hour a day playing.

Former addicts say that gambling becomes a permanent demon.

"It's like a raven sitting on my shoulder," says Francesco, 52.

After the pandemic, online betting has grown by more than 15% per year, bringing the total amount of money played to 157 billion euros in 2024.

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