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Pope Leo XIV called attention to the ‘scourge of gambling,’ as he said it ‘destroys many families.’
The head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City becomes pope in May of 2025, where this statement is one of the latest from first American Pope. He met on Monday with mayors from across Italy and called on them to promote real human relations to prevent gambling and other expressions of loneliness.
In a press release detailing the Pope’s address to those present, he also touched on how statistics have recorded a sharp increase in gambling in Italy over the past few years.
Pope Leo XIV deplored the spread of gambling, saying it had destroyed many families.
He met on Monday with mayors from across Italy, calling on them to promote “genuine human relations” to curb gambling and other expressions of loneliness.
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According to the media, Italy is the largest gambling market in Europe and surpassed the likes of the UK, Germany, and France. The gross revenue of gambling will hit 21.5 billion euros in 2024, with the country experiencing a gambling boom.
Italy is the largest gambling market in Europe, where the Pope has noted its rise
The Holy Pope said (in a translated version): Unfortunately, our cities know forms of isolation, violence, and loneliness that demand to be solved. I want to draw attention, especially, to the scourge of gambling, which destroys many families.
“Statistics have recorded a strong growth in Italy in recent years. As pointed out by Caritas Italiana in its latest Report on poverty and social exclusion, it is a serious problem in education, mental health and social trust.
“We cannot forget the other forms of loneliness that many people suffer: mental illnesses, depression, cultural and spiritual poverty, social abandonment. These are signs that show how great the need for hope is. To be able to prove it effectively, politics is called to shape real human relationships among citizens by promoting social peace.”
The Holy Pope is not the first to talk about the rise of this activity, because in June of this year when the head of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, was reported to have said: “(Gambling) destroys people, it destroys, in many cases it destroys relationships, so it is clear that a great effort (to prevent it) is needed by all.
While some of the Italy is calling for greater regulations, especially within the Catholic Church, it will be interesting to see how the government responds as the industry develops in 2026.
Featured Image: © Vyacheslav Argenberg / https://www.vascoplanet.com/
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