Gambling addiction, also called pathological gambling, is the uncontrollable and continuous desire to gamble, despite the risks that lie behind such behavior and despite the initial desire not to give in to gambling.
The precise causes of this particular mental illness - which is comparable to addiction to alcohol or drugs - are unknown.
According to some researchers, it is the result of a combination of biological, genetic and environmental factors.
How widespread in Italy is pathological gambling and gambling in general? Is there a connection, always in our country, between the spread of this habit and the number of indebted people, of suicides etc?
A possible answer to these questions and other similar ones can be found in the following numbers:
- According to a recent survey by the European Association for Panic Attack Disorders (Eurodap), half of the Italians who gamble are only affected by gambling addiction.
Going into more detail, of the 850 people aged between 25 and 65, a 20% was in the category "serious pathological players", a 30% in the "pathological players" category, another 20% in the "risk players" category. to become pathological "and finally the last 30% in the" casual players "category.
- According to a reliable Italian newspaper, Ilsole24ore, at least 900, 000 people would have some problems with gambling . The precise data in this regard speak of a percentage ranging from 1.5 to 3.8% (NB: the data does not take into account online gamblers).
- Gambling produces a sum of 8 billion euros for the Italian state: until a few years ago it was the fifth largest industry in the country . In addition, Italy prints a fifth of the "scratch cards" of the whole world and holds the record of electronic gaming equipment: more than 450 thousand.
- According to 2005 Eurispes data, the Italians who play the most are those belonging to the weakest income groups. In fact, the numbers at that time reported that 47% of the poor were playing, 56% of the lower-middle class economists and 66% of the unemployed .
- For Italians, gambling is the main cause of debts and usury .
