Protection, Technology, and Awareness: The Vision of the Fair Foundation at the ADM General States

The public gaming sector in Italy is undergoing a structural and cultural transformation, driven by technological innovation, new regulations, and increasing focus on protecting public health. In this context of profound evolution, “The General States of the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) 2025" held on May 22 in Rome, was a key event—not only a forum for dialogue but also a valuable opportunity to reflect on challenges and future prospects.

In particular, the session dedicated to gaming, titled “Promoting and Developing Responsible Gaming Between Regulation, Technological Innovation, and the Perspective of Behavioral Sciences”, highlighted core issues for the Fair Foundation. Representing the Foundation was its president, Prof. Matteo Caroli, who outlined its main areas of work and current outlook.

ADM’s Director of Gaming, Dr. Mario Lollobrigida, pointed out that epidemiological surveys conducted between 2016 and 2019 by the National Center for Addiction and Doping of the Italian National Institute of Health, in collaboration with the Agency, estimated that about 3% of the population were problem gamblers. It is estimated that around 20 million Italians regularly participate in public gaming, with an average monthly expenditure of approximately €90.

More recently, a 2023 study by the Institute of Clinical Physiology of the CNR found that 4% of players are at low risk of developing problematic behaviors, while 1.7% fall within the moderate to severe risk range. ADM’s analysis of online gaming accounts shows that over 97% of account holders exhibit spending levels consistent with conscious and controlled gaming, while only 1% of accounts show transactions suggestive of potential gambling addiction.

It is clear that Responsible Gaming is a shared value among the vast majority of public game participants. In this landscape, protecting players' health requires an integrated approach involving lawmakers, operators, and individuals. Legislators must adopt effective and coherent regulations that balance public health protection with fiscal and market needs; operators must avoid practices and products that encourage excessive gaming and promote high standards of responsibility; and players must be equipped to understand the risks and adopt mindful behaviors.

By December 31, 2025, the government must implement the mandate set forth in Article 15 of Law 111 of 2023 to reform public gaming legislation, prioritizing public health over fiscal interests. Key guiding criteria include mandatory ongoing training for managers and operators, self-exclusion mechanisms, minimum requirements for gaming venues, and communication strategies focused on protecting vulnerable individuals.

In implementation of this mandate, Legislative Decree 41 of 2024 was issued, focusing on online gaming and identifying the protection of players' health as its primary goal, including through advanced technological tools such as artificial intelligence. A permanent advisory council on public gaming was established to monitor and propose measures to combat pathological gambling. Article 15 of the decree includes specific measures such as self-limitation systems for time, spending, and losses; automatic warning messages; mandatory information on problem gambling; and contact channels for responsible gaming support.

Based on the provisions of Law 111/2023, the Agency has prepared a draft legislative decree to reorganize physical-network public gaming, introducing measures to mitigate pathological gambling risks. These include staff training programs, policies informed by behavioral studies, psychological support, venue features aimed at conscious prevention, and regular monitoring with surveillance systems. The decree also seeks to harmonize regional prevention measures, regulate distances from sensitive locations, and introduce reasonable operating hour limits.

According to Director Lollobrigida, the new regulatory framework should not be seen as just a set of rules but as a path of collective growth, focused on sustainability, responsibility, and legality.

Prof. Matteo Caroli represented the Fair Foundation’s vision in the ADM session on gaming in the panel titled “Training, Information, and Behavioral Sciences as Tools for Promoting Responsible Gaming.”

The Foundation has been operating for over a year with the goal of producing rigorous analyses and studies on gaming-related issues, offering meaningful knowledge contributions to the sector. During the session, it was emphasized that ensuring healthy and sustainable gaming for all requires special attention to the minority of at-risk players—without penalizing others.

Prevention plays a crucial role. Advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, are already widely used by leading operators to identify and prevent problematic behaviors. The preventive approach must be holistic, acting on multiple levels starting from an effective regulatory framework.

This phenomenon also reveals a protectionism issue: protecting licensed operators without effectively tackling illegal gaming fails to solve the problem and can distort the market, discouraging virtuous behaviors. Therefore, only a coordinated and coherent action—also addressing illegality—can ensure a healthy, fair, and sustainable gaming system.

Prof. Caroli noted that the data cited by Director Lollobrigida do not depict a dramatic situation regarding pathological gambling. However, he stressed the importance of intervening in the intermediate zone between regular and pathological gambling to prevent growth in the 1% at-risk group.

He explained that prevention efforts must focus on understanding different types of players and the circumstances that can lead from controlled behavior to risky conditions. He referenced ongoing research in collaboration with the Catholic University of Milan on under-25s, which highlights the importance of financial education—not only for young people but for the entire population—as a way to help understand the risks tied to gambling.

The professor also emphasized that making gaming a healthy activity for all requires the application of technological tools to anticipate and block risky behaviors. These tools must be an integrated and visible part of the gaming experience and central to responsible gaming communication. Just as essential is robust training for point-of-sale staff and widespread financial education, especially for youth. All this must go hand-in-hand with the fight against illegal gaming, where pathological behaviors are much more likely to occur.

"More than in any other area, collaboration among various stakeholders—institutions, operators, universities, and others—is essential to help this sector grow in a way that benefits both public and private interests," concluded Matteo Caroli.