Fondazione Fair urges Italian gambling companies to prioritise consumer protection communications

Fondazione Fair vice-president Giovanni Emilio Maggi said consumer protection and the communication strategies linked to it should become a central pillar of corporate strategy, speaking in Rome at the presentation of the foundation's Observatory on Responsible Gambling Communication results. Maggi said the attendance at the event showed the subject is felt and central, and that it goes beyond the wording of "responsible gambling".

Maggi linked the subject to the start of the new online concession and the definition of Agcom guidelines, saying communication takes on a crucial role in that context. He said companies and their managers face a cultural shift from simple compliance to a real commitment, which would treat the consumer as something valuable to protect and would raise perceptions of the gambling sector as a whole.

He said defending the legal sector and countering illegality remain fundamental, but that these cannot be the only focus. Maggi also called for an assessment of what has worked in communication so far and what should be improved for the future.

Maggi identified the gap between gambling channels as a critical point. He said the online concession now offers increasingly attentive and advanced protections, while the end consumer is the same on the digital and physical channels, and said it is desirable that the retail reform be taken up again to realign protection levels between online and the territory.