LOCKDOWN MAKES GAMBLING ADDICTS "MORE AWARE"

Also on Saturday, the Ministry of Health said that the national lockdown has caused an increase in the number of calls to a National Institute of Health (ISS) helpline for gambling addicts.

In this country of about 60 million inhabitants, 8-10 million people gamble and of these, 1.3 million are classifiable as gambling addicts, according to the ministry.

"There are more calls from gamblers as opposed to their family members, and calls that used to last 15 minutes now last an average of 40 minutes," commented Roberta Pacifici, who directs the ISS Center for Addictions and Doping.

"The awareness of having a problem has increased with the lockdown," she said. "So this could become an opportunity to try to change."