Fondazione Fair presents Italian survey on responsible gambling communications

Fondazione Fair presented the findings of its Osservatorio sulla Comunicazione del Gioco Responsabile at an event in Rome on 14 October, the foundation said. The research examined communication on responsible gambling and was based on 1,000 interviews with people aged between 18 and 70.

Respondents identified references to winnings, bonuses and financial benefits as the most critical points, along with an overly positive tone and the use of slogans or expressions typical of commercial communication. The use of influencers or well-known figures also drew attention, according to the survey.

More than eight in 10 respondents said the sector's priorities are preventing addiction, protecting minors and young people, and countering illegal gambling. Some 59% judged current efforts to prevent and tackle problem gambling to be inadequate.

Among opinion leaders, the survey found support for communication that brings licensees together around a common institutional message, described as a form of advertising supported by operators and accompanied by the regulator's logo, with the aim of creating a recognisable and quality message.

Fondazione Fair said the new guidelines on gambling communication and advertising are important for the sector's reputation, and that compliance with the rules can create a new kind of relationship with players that may further support a culture of responsible gambling. The foundation said this requires actual respect for the rules, without prohibitions being circumvented through "sponsorships, overexposure of brands or apparently informative communications".

The research said clarity on what is permitted and what is not can "encourage mutual oversight between operators" and a shared sense of responsibility. It also pointed to a cultural change going beyond traditional protection tools and the idea that limiting the supply of public gambling could be the solution.

According to the study, the current approach to new responsible gambling advertisements would be recalled by only 21% of respondents in 2026. Familiarity with the topic remains low: 41% of Italians said they really know what responsible gambling is, against 44% who said they know it only broadly and 15% who do not know it at all. The share who know little or nothing rises to 56% in relation to the reorganisation of online gambling, which introduced an obligation to strengthen player protection measures.

On supervision, opinion leaders considered the guidelines useful above all if placed within a wider system of responsibility and oversight. The Osservatorio said various parties stressed the need for a super partes body able to verify application of the guidelines and measure what actually changes.