Prosecutors in Cosenza have initiated action against a criminal operation that allegedly tampered with online gaming machines throughout the province. On Monday, the public prosecutor’s office revealed that precautionary measures had been enacted against 15 individuals suspected of manipulating amusement with prize (AWP) machines, which are a widely used category of slot devices in Italy. This manipulation has led to suspicions of tax evasion and corruption.
A judge at the Cosenza court has made a preliminary ruling in conjunction with personnel from the gambling regulatory authority, Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM). The court's measures include two house arrests, six non-custodial restrictions, and a one-year prohibition on gaming activities for seven individuals.
At this point, the investigation is classified as preliminary, and none of the accused have yet been put on trial.
The allegations suggest the presence of an organized criminal group that may include a distribution company owner and an ADM official. It has been claimed that the ADM official provided sensitive information about inspection schedules and targets in exchange for payments, which facilitated the concealment of illegal gaming components and enabled the recovery, reformatting, and redistribution of previously seized elements.
This network is reported to have employed sophisticated methods, such as complex cabling and alterations to activation systems, to continue their illegal activities and avoid being detected.
The inquiry commenced after ADM’s central gaming controls identified significant anomalies in telematic data from various gaming machines. Comprehensive inspections at commercial establishments across the Cosenza province resulted in the seizure of 145 machines. These devices were believed to have contained a hidden, tampered circuit board, and authorities seized about €80,000 ($89,188) in cash from the machines.
Cyber forensic investigations of confiscated smartphones, tablets, computers, and storage media uncovered a technique used to divert stakes away from the monitoring systems. The scheme reportedly included the installation of unauthorized cloned circuit boards alongside the legitimate ADM-connected boards, along with the use of remote wireless controls and modified hardware to reroute gameplay to the illegal boards, enabling "off the books" wagers.
This inquiry follows closely on the heels of a similar investigation targeting former employees involved in fraud regarding Gratta e Vinci scratchcards. Authorities seized more than €25 million in assets from five former employees of a gaming concessionaire involved in this scheme. While the company itself was not accused, prosecutors allege the individuals used their privileged access to identify winning tickets ahead of time, circumventing the intended randomness of the game.
The trade organization EGP-FIPE recently cautioned the Senate that the gambling sector is currently facing a "regulatory deadlock," which could lead to an increase in unregulated gaming activities across the nation.
