Eurispes warns weakening legal gambling supply feeds illegal channels

Eurispes said that a legal gambling sector that is regulated, controlled and recognisable acts as a safeguard against illegal gambling, and that weakening it can leave citizens more exposed. The institute made the statement in an article by Angelo Caliendo, an administrative lawyer and member of the Eurispes board.

According to the article, Eurispes said that distancing rules requiring gaming halls and machines to keep a set distance from sensitive locations do not automatically reduce demand for gambling or increase protection for vulnerable people. When legal supply contracts, the institute said, demand tends to persist and move to clandestine circuits or unauthorised online platforms. Eurispes said this became evident during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the closure of physical venues favoured growth of the illegal market rather than eliminating the activity.

Eurispes said a regulated framework does not remove the risk of gambling addiction, and called for stronger social and health services, prevention campaigns aimed at young people and continuous professional training for venue managers. The institute said the convergence of digital platforms, sports content and new technologies requires constant updating of safeguards towards 2030, with effective and verifiable controls to protect minors and vulnerable consumers.

The article says Eurispes began analysing the sector in the early 2000s, when attention focused on the economic and employment impact of rules such as the introduction of Bingo. It says the institute's research later added social and behavioural aspects, with studies on the Puglia, Piemonte, Lazio and Sardegna regional markets covering both the distribution of supply and the capacity of local services to support people with gambling addiction.