Aiming to reinforce its civic sense, Venice Casino is now offering courses to detach addicts from gambling. Casino croupiers have been instructed to identify gamblers that are potentially “at risk” and direct them to therapists that are paid for by the casino.

“I want to remove the demonic image of the casino as a place of perdition and lost souls,” Mauro Pizzigati, head of the casino, said. About 800,000 Italians are addicted to casino games. Though most addictions involve roulette and slot machines, some have developed bingo, scratch-cards and horse racing betting addictions.

The casino is one of the four legal gambling establishments in Italy. The country’s disapproval of gambling can be explained because of its Roman Catholicism traditions, and also because of the banning of most gambling venues and practices during Mussolini’s fascism.

Venice Casino’s 2006 takings were €216 million. Though the casino already pays half of its profits to the Venice municipal budget, Pizzigati wants it to also sponsor cultural activities, sports, homes for old people and a regatta for people with disabilities.