Almost a million and a half euros will be used to strengthen the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of people with pathological gambling.
In 2016, 616 patients were treated in the facilities of Sardinia, consisting of 506 men and 110 women; 77 percent of these were given a primary diagnosis of pathological gambling, the remaining 23 percent were diagnosed with multiple conditions such as psychosis and generalized anxiety disorder. About 70 people were also diagnosed as addicted to alcohol or drugs.
“In Italy, according to data from the Observatory to combat the popularity of gambling and the phenomenon of serious addiction, 17 million people have played at least once in their lives” – explained Luigi Arru, Councillor of Health – and, because of games like scratch cards, 14.6% are at risk of addiction, while many who are considered problem gamblers are frequently playing on the internet from home.
