Prosecutors in Cosenza have launched an investigation into a significant tampering scheme affecting online gaming machines throughout the province. On Monday, the public prosecutor's office disclosed that precautionary measures have been imposed on 15 individuals linked to the manipulation of amusement with prize (AWP) machines, a favored type of slot machine in Italy, resulting in allegations of tax evasion and corruption.
A judge at the Cosenza court issued the preliminary ruling in conjunction with officials from Italy’s gaming regulatory body, the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM). The measures include two house arrests, six non-custodial restrictions, and a one-year prohibition on operating gaming activities for seven of the accused.
At this point, the probe remains preliminary, and none of the individuals have progressed to trial.
Investigators have identified evidence pointing to an organized criminal group, believed to involve a distribution company owner and a local ADM official. Reports suggest that the ADM staff member provided confidential inspection schedules and targets in exchange for financial compensation, allowing the organization to hide illegal setups and to retrieve, reformat, and redistribute seized gaming hardware.
The group is alleged to have made intricate modifications to cabling and activation systems to sustain their clandestine operations while avoiding detection.
The investigation was prompted when ADM’s central gaming controls identified significant discrepancies in telematic data from various gaming machines. Comprehensive inspections across commercial locations in Cosenza led to the seizure of 145 machines, suspected of housing hidden, tampered circuit boards. Authorities also confiscated around €80,000 ($89,188) in cash from these devices.
Cyber forensic investigations of confiscated smartphones, tablets, computers, and other media uncovered a method used to redirect stakes from the monitoring system. The operation involved fitting cloned circuit boards next to the authorized ADM boards and utilizing remote wireless controls, modified cabling, timers, or monitor switches to direct gameplay to the illicit boards, thus allowing for unreported wagers.
This investigation follows closely on the heels of another case targeting former employees linked to a Gratta e Vinci scratchcard fraud. Authorities recently seized assets worth over €25 million from five former employees of a gaming concessionaire. While the company itself has not been charged, prosecutors claim these individuals used privileged access to the system to pre-identify winning tickets, undermining the game’s intended randomness.
In June, the trade association EGP-FIPE cautioned the Senate that the gambling industry is caught in a “regulatory deadlock,” which poses a risk of increasing unregulated gambling activities within the country.
