Italian gamblers’ perspectives on the impact of slot machine restrictions on their behaviors

Worldwide, there are a few examples of laws seeking to reduce the availability of Electronic Gambling Machines, one being a regional law introduced in Piedmont in 2018 that limited the times and places where gambling is allowed, causing an overall decrease in gambling frequency and expenditure and a heated public debate. This study investigates gamblers’ opinions and perspectives on why and how the new regulation impacted their habits. ‘Gambling trajectories’ were explored through 60 in-depth individual interviews of adults differing in age, gender, social background, and gambling profile. The most widely reported impact on gambling trajectories was the interruption of the daily routine associated with going to tobacco shops or bars and using slot machines while buying coffee or cigarettes. From the gamblers’ perspective, removing EGMs from generalist shops reduces the impulse and opportunities to gamble, and can prevent the transition to problem gambling. These findings add to the qualitative understanding of the links between EGM availability, density, and problem gambling and contradict the industry’s rhetoric, endorsed by the Italian government, which holds that spatial and timing limitations on EGMs would only bring about a shift toward other games or places without affecting the habits of people experiencing gambling problems.