The meeting entitled “Gambling, from data analysis to concrete actions for the territory”, Organized by BPER Banca together with Nomisma and ATS Bergamo. The presentation of the event by Eugenio Tangerini, Head of External Relations of Bper Banca, was followed by an illustration of theGame Observatory 2021, commissioned by Bper, with a focus on the risk behaviors of the Zeta Generation (14-19 years) and the Silver Age (over 65).
The photograph from the Nomisma Observatory reveals that, if gambling is often an occasional habit or entertainment, sometimes it has worrying negative implications for daily life and family relationships: 48% of young players have hidden or reduced their gaming habits from their parents and 9% of children have a problematic approach to gaming, with negative behaviors that affect the psychophysical sphere. In the Silver Age the propensity to play is lower, but it is nonetheless 25% of those over 65 who claim to gamble, with a significant share of those who play every day (3%) or at least once a week (8%). But even in this target, the approach must be monitored more than the frequency: 13% of elderly players return to gambling to recover the lost money, 10% feel guilty for the way they play, 5% think that you have a gambling problem. Also in this case, the screening carried out using the international SOGS-RA indicator highlights a large share of elderly people (12%) with a problematic approach to gambling.
“We are aware of the role that banks play in the field of gambling, we are implementing concrete actions and activating safeguards that help players avoid moments of leisure from leading to pathology – he has declared Vittorio Stefano Kuhn, Chief Business Officer Lombardy of BPER Banca. For this reason we have inhibited gambling from the use of credit cards issued by the Group and provided support tools for the family of the pathological player, such as our Vademecum on the correct use of banking services. We also commissioned the research to Nomisma to have a clear framework on which to act, especially in consideration of the effects of the pandemic “.
During the event they also intervened Giovanna Zacchi, Head of ESG Strategy at BPER Banca, who illustrated the initiatives of the Institute, which has been active for years on the subject through actions to raise awareness and internal supervision of payments made with credit and prepaid cards, e Luca Biffi, Head of Addiction Prevention Unit, Department of Hygiene and Health Prevention ATS of Bergamo, which highlighted the concrete actions that local services can implement by creating alliances with credit institutions to collaborate in the prevention of the phenomenon.
During the event, the information material for parents was also presented, created by the students of the ISIS Zenale and Butinone di Treviglio, on the correct use of prepaid cards. “The data indicate that the phenomenon of gambling disorder is a problem that affects an important number of people also in our province” he comments Massimo Giupponi, general manager of ATS Bergamo recalling how the structure “has activated, for several years now, a significant preventive action through collaborations with territorial networks. Among these, the one with credit institutions is particularly important, which represent fundamental sensors widespread throughout the territory and which are located in having to manage customers with bad bank accounts due to gambling. So banks play a key role in the early interception and responsible accompaniment of player customers or their family members to the services offered, helping to protect the social and economic well-being of the customers themselves and their families “.
“Thanks to the realization of over 7,500 interviews, the 2021 Game Observatory provides a fundamental information tool for exploring game modes and monitoring their approach – he declares Silvia Zucconi Head of Market Intelligence Nomisma. Among the predictive factors that influence young people’s propensity to gamble there is not only the socio-demographic profile, gender, geographical area of residence, type of school attended, but also the characteristics of the family context and of the peer group attended as well as the academic performance. These behaviors must be monitored with great attention since they could evolve into pathological forms, especially in a complex period such as the current one where 44% of young people declare that they have experienced situations of anxiety, tension, psychological difficulties “.
Source-www.adnkronos.com