Gambling : unanalisi qualitativa in una regione del Sud Italia

The article analyses pathological gambling (PG) in Basilicata, interpreting it as a social phenomenon rooted in specific territorial contexts. Through a qualita-tive study based on four focus groups conducted in different areas of the region, the article gathers the representations, experiences, and practices of professionals working in health, social, and third-sector services involved in addressing the phenomenon. The analysis highlights how PG develops at the intersection of so-cio-economic vulnerabilities, relational proximity, the widespread availability of gambling opportunities, and processes of cultural normalization of gambling, showing how these dynamics take on distinctive features in contexts where re-duced anonymity and the weight of stigma influence access to services and the demand for help. [Publisher's text]