Milano Rolls Out New Strategies to Tackle Gambling as City Launches New Public Campaign

A regional conference held on Monday, 6 July, at Palazzo Lombardia reviewed Lombardy’s policies to tackle Gambling Disorder (GAP), focusing on gambling addiction, online betting and prevention. The event, introduced by General Director Mario Melazzini and attended by Welfare Councillor Guido Bertolaso, brought together institutions, health experts and representatives of the third sector, alongside a photo exhibition titled “A mio rischio e pericolo”.

According to the sector report presented at the meeting, total annual gambling spending in Italy reaches €160 billion, while online gambling and betting collected €109.3 billion in 2025, up 20.9% over three years, with 17.1 million active accounts. Lombardy has more than 2.2 million online accounts (13% of the national total), while revenue from traditional slot machines (Awp) fell by 35% compared with 2019. To respond to these trends, the regional government updated its operational plan with resolution 3364/2024, acting through its eight ATS across four lines: stronger enforcement and legality measures, expanded prevention and information (including multilingual campaigns on the “No Slot” portal and school projects such as Life Skills Training), closer care support via specialized teams and listening services, and pilot innovative treatment models, including dedicated residential pathways and non-invasive brain stimulation using transcranial methodology.
Italian Version