Caserta – The fate of two betting shops in Teverola, which the police wanted to close because they were too close to the Ludwig van Beethoven secondary school, is once again in doubt. The Campania Regional Administrative Court (TAR), with a precautionary ruling, has blocked the revocation of the licenses ordered by the Police Commissioner and ordered a further investigation: the Campania Office of the Customs and Monopolies Agency will remeasure, within 45 days, the exact distance between the premises and the school, strictly following the "shortest pedestrian route" criterion (including steps or ladders, but without climbing over walls).
The owners – Ciro Vitolo and the company Tredici srls – can therefore continue to operate while awaiting the technical inspection and the hearing on the merits, already set for March 24, 2026. The affair broke out when the Caserta Police Headquarters detected an alleged violation of the regional legislation which requires at least 500 meters of distance (in pedestrian line) between gaming halls and "sensitive places" such as schools, churches and youth centers.
According to the appellants, however, the calculations made by the officers did not take into account the actual distance that could be covered on foot, leading to an error that the Court now intends to correct. The TAR's decision effectively reopens the debate on combating pathological gambling in Campania, where anti-slot machine laws are among the strictest in Italy, but where disputes over distance measurement are commonplace.
For the two Teverola businesses, a race against time has begun: if the Customs Agency's new assessment confirms the distance is less than 500 meters, the closure will become permanent. Otherwise, the venues will be allowed to remain open, marking yet another victory for the operators against the region's strict social distancing regulations.
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