In Europe, some German players with gambling addictions are avoiding paying their gambling debts and an Italian lawmaker wants to limit gambling hours.
In Germany, online casinos have been banned since 2011. Online gambling is strictly regulated and limited to state and licensed providers of sports betting and lotteries. As a result, thousands of German players gamble on foreign sites. According to Spiegelreports, 85 percent of online gambling money is wagered in illegal, unregulated foreign markets.
But German gamblers legally can refuse to pay their debts because online gambling is banned. Ilona Füchtenschnieder of the Gambling Addiction Association said, “I clearly pointed out to American Express that online gambling is illegal in this country.” She was able to help a player avoid paying a gambling debt of 2,000 Euros ($2,387) since American Express cancelled the debt and settled with the gambling operator.
In Scafati, Italy, former City Councilor Angelo Matrone proposed prohibiting the use of slot machines during morning school hours to stop young people from gambling. He pointed out in a letter to the Extraordinary Commission a regulation banning gambling was approved but never implemented. Matrone noted the mayor of Montesano signed an ordinance allowing the use of slot machines exclusively between 3-11 p.m. daily.
