Gambling as a Restraint to the Italian Economy

The Italian economy is undergoing a period of economic recession, which is expressed in a contraction in domestic demand and a reduction in investment. Notwithstanding a decrease in the per-capita spending on durable and non-durable goods, for some years, there has been an increase in spending on gambling. The market for legal gambling is a large, broad market, strongly influenced by changes in consumer preferences and by technological innovation. This market, in continuous evolution, does not seem to be affected by the crisis, because the possibility of an easy income exerts a significant attraction. The aim of this work is to demonstrate that gambling does not contribute to economic growth in spite of the increase of the gambling spending