November 6, 2025 12:34 PM
Betting on misery: The dark side of Italy’s gambling passion
When Luciano walked into an anti-addiction clinic in the central Italian city of Pisa, the only thing he had not lost to years of gambling were the clothes he was wearing. Everything else - family homes, savings, his dignity - was gone. "I devoted myself to casinos, horses, everything. Basically, I toured all the casinos in Europe; I spent all my assets, I gambled them, I gambled everything away in those places," the 69-year-old retired railway worker told Reuters. Luciano's story exemplifies ...