Abstract
The aim of this study is to analyse, in the Italian sports betting sector, the impact of Internet gambling on the level of consumption of gambling products and the responsible gambling strategies adopted by the on line gambling operators. From the methodological viewpoint the research work has been organised into two phases. In the first phase, an empirical investigation has been carried out on a sample of Italian consumers directed towards measuring the impact that the use of the Internet has on the volume of bets made on sports events. In the second phase, an analytical work has been performed on the on line gambling websites of the main operators of the Italian sports betting market, directed towards examining the measures adopted for promoting responsible gambling. The results of the empirical research indicate, on the one hand, that in the Italian market, as has happened in other national gambling markets, the legalization of on line sports betting may determine an increase in the level of consumption of gambling products and, thus, in the potential risks of excessive gambling; and, on the other hand, that the normative approach adopted in the Italian gambling market, based on a ‘concession model’ which provides for a strong public control of the gambling operators, has favoured a widespread adoption by the on line betting companies of an articulated series of measures aimed towards harm minimisation in Internet gambling. Thus, the findings of this study contribute towards the economic-managerial literature on the theme of firms’ social responsibility by providing important insights for gambling firms and public policy makers regarding the responsible gambling strategies for Internet gambling adoptable in the markets, such as the Italian one, in which on line gambling is fully regulated.
Highlights
Beginning from the early years of the new millennium the gambling industry in Italy has been affected by a series of normative interventions aiming to implement a ‘regulated opening’ strategy of the market which has brought about the legalisation of new previously unregulated forms of betting.The regulation change in the gambling industry in Italy has led to a rapid growth in business sales
A first objective of this study is to analyse the impact that the use of the Internet has on the volume of bets made by Italian players on sports events in order to verify whether on line gambling may cause an increase in the level of consumption of gambling products and, in the risk of excessive gambling
Relating to the second aim of this study – namely to analyse the responsible gambling strategies adopted by the gambling operators in the regulated on line sports betting sector in Italy – the empirical investigation carried out by examining the gambling websites managed by the main market operators, has granted showing the degree and specific use modalities of the measures adopted by these operators aimed at harm minimisation in Internet gambling
Summary
Beginning from the early years of the new millennium the gambling industry in Italy has been affected by a series of normative interventions aiming to implement a ‘regulated opening’ strategy of the market which has brought about the legalisation of new previously unregulated forms of betting. This service charter attributes considerable relevance to the initiatives aimed at minimising gambling harm, and makes provision for a series of specific actions directed towards the development of responsible gaming which the gambling licensees must adopt in order to operate in the Italian on line regulated gambling market (Agency of Customs and Monopoly, 2015) In this regard it is expedient to say that if it is true that “it is unrealistic to expect the on line gambling industry to prioritise harm prevention over revenue maximisation” In 2015 the total amount wagered in the on line sports betting market in Italy grew by 80 per cent from 2014, reaching 2.8 billion euro, which led for the first time to the digital distribution channel surpassing the physical one in terms of sales (Note 2)
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