An Internet betting company has joined forces with an addiction treatment centre to create Italy's first online gambling dependency site, unveiled on Tuesday.
SOS Gioco is a response to the boom of online betting among Italian web users, which is creating hundreds of new addicts.
''International data suggests that between 1.5% and 3% of the population will develop problems and fall into the trap of gambling addiction,'' said Achille Saletti, president of the dependency treatment centre, Saman.
''This means the number of Italians at risk is somewhere between 900,000 and 1.8 million''.
SOS Gioco offers a three-stage route for users to access help, starting with a basic online questionnaire for visitors to assess whether they have a gambling problem.
If the test suggests they do, they are eligible for a free consultation with one of Saman's four psychotherapists, which may also be carried out by webcam.
Depending on the outcome of the consultation, Saman's therapists then have the power to refer users to specialized local services to begin a proper addiction treatment programme.
Italy's online betting industry is booming and is expected to generate turnover of 47.5 million euros this year, according to entertainment and gaming newswire, Agicos.
Around 30 million Italians gamble via the Internet, 60% of whom consider themselves occasional players, while the remaining 40% are regular players, Agicos said.
