The social debate about gambling regulation in Italy: an analysis of stakeholders’ arguments

Part of the Game? Exploring the Prevalence and Normalization of Gambling in Belgian Sports Clubs

“…In a certain sense, forthcoming gambling scholarship should therefore try to shift the attention more from individuals experiencing gambling disorder to problem gambling products (the most addictive products, such as machine slots) [ 19 , 44 ]. Moreover, exclusively focusing on problem gambling might neglect how broadly gambling is embedded and institutionalized from a macro (systemic) viewpoint [ 12 ]. Such narrow focus would be unfortunate and even dangerous from a public health perspective, as the normalization of gambling might lead to certain harms for the whole of society [ 2 ].…”

“…Such narrow focus would be unfortunate and even dangerous from a public health perspective, as the normalization of gambling might lead to certain harms for the whole of society [ 2 ]. In other words, “gambling behaviour itself does not need to be problematic to cause harm” ([ 49 ] (p. 37), as cited in [ 12 ] (p. 13)).…”

“…On the other hand, the associated harms of (problem) gambling (for example, relationship breakdowns, debts, anxiety, depression, and suicide), numerous incidents of gambling-related match-fixing, and the increase in aggressive gambling advertisement mark a potential turning point concerning society’s perspective on gambling [ 7 , 8 ]. More precisely, a public and political debate on the omnipresence and legitimization of gambling in society as well as on the “gamblification” of sports is currently ongoing in different countries, such as the UK, Belgium, Spain, and Italy [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”

Prevention and Harm Reduction Interventions for Adult Gambling at the Local Level: An Umbrella Review of Empirical Evidence

“…Consequently, local policy makers are often more inclined to implement prevention or harm reduction policies compared to national policy makers. This is particularly relevant in countries where national laws have facilitated market-led expansion [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Moreover, local actions allow for the differentiation of policies according to vulnerability levels and the implementation of specific strategies in at-risk areas [ 19 ].…”

“…Moreover, local actions allow for the differentiation of policies according to vulnerability levels and the implementation of specific strategies in at-risk areas [ 19 ]. At the local level, it is also more feasible to involve stakeholders and community members in policy development and implementation [ 19 , 20 ]. Therefore, different interventions or strategies can be used at the local level than those at the national level.…”