Abruzzo ranks third in Italy for gambling participation

A new study titled ‘L’Italia che gioca 2026’, which combines Istat data with Google Trends, reveals regional variations in gambling habits across Italy.

Abruzzo ranks third nationally in overall participation, with 36.2% of the population aged 14 and older having played at least once in 2024. Notably, Abruzzo leads the country in monthly gambling frequency, with 10% of its residents playing on a monthly basis. The region also ranks first in Google searches for ‘Gratta e Vinci’ (scratch cards).

Sicily ranks seventh in the national study. While it sits 19th in Istat participation data, it ranks high in online interest, placing third in searches for SuperEnalotto and second for betting tips. Approximately 5.8% of Sicilians participate in sports betting, the third-highest rate in Italy.

Nationally, Istat reports that 31.9% of Italians aged 14 and over participated in games with cash prizes in 2024. The most popular games remain scratch cards (25.1%), followed by Lotto and lotteries (16.5%), SuperEnalotto (13.8%), and sports betting (4.7%).