Italian gaming workers to stage protests this week

Workers from the Italian gaming sector will stage further protests this week against continued Covid-19 restrictions.

Italy.- Italian gaming workers will stage protests this week against the country’s continued lockdown restrictions on the sector.

Employees of licensed gambling operators plan to take part in protests sanctioned by trade bodies and unions at Milan’s Piazza del Duomo and Rome’s Piazza del Popolo on Thursday, February 18. 

Unions say the continued enforced closure of gambling venues in Italy is impacting on the livelihoods of 150,00 direct employees and 400,000 family incomes.

More than 170 businesses, including bingo halls, betting shops, gaming arcades, bars and equipment suppliers, are said to be supporting the demonstrations. 

Gaming venues in many provinces have been closed for almost a year due to a federal order imposed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

See also: Italy: online gambling GGR hit €359m in December

The industry is calling for the enforcement rules to be amended to allow betting shops and gambling venues to re-open in regions designated “mild yellow zones”, which have lower rates of Covid-19 infections.

A spokesperson for the protests said: “[It will be a] dignified protest for the workers of licensed gaming venues – a sector that contributes €4.5 billion per year in taxes [and is] the last defence against the black market.”