ITALIAN ONLINE GAMBLING NUMBERS

29 August 2008

Italians spend Euros 350 million every year on Internet poker


Online poker is a pastime rapidly gaining ground among Italian gamblers, it seems from a survey conducted recently by the Consumers Defense and Orientation Association (ADOC) and reported this week by the Agipronews agency. The survey found that Italians punters annually spend an average of Euros 600 each on Internet gambling, making a total yearly spend of Euros 350 million.


Almost 2 million Italian residents have gone online at least once to play a game of chance on the Internet, with a quarter of that number using offshore Internet gambling sites for this activity. With the Italian government poised to legalise, license and regulate online gambling the survey will be read with interest by many involved in the industry.

Agipronews comments in a statement that the online gaming phenomenon increasingly appeals to Italian people, with visits to foreign gambling sites up 25 percent. According to ADOC, 16 000 Italian citizens 'may be considered' to have gambling problems with an average level of debt that ranges between Euros 10 000 and Euros 12 000, in exceptional cases reaching Euros 40 000.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa