Prosecutors in Cosenza are investigating a significant criminal operation linked to the tampering of online gaming machines throughout the region. On Monday, the public prosecutor’s office announced that they had taken precautionary measures against 15 individuals involved in the manipulation of amusement with prize (AWP) machines, which are a popular type of slot-style gaming device in Italy. This scheme has resulted in allegations of tax evasion and corruption.
A judge at the Cosenza court has issued a preliminary ruling, working alongside officials from the gaming regulator, Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM). The measures taken include two individuals placed under house arrest, six others subjected to non-custodial restrictions, and a one-year prohibition on gaming operations for seven of those implicated.
At this point, the inquiry is still in its preliminary stages, and none of the accused individuals have faced trial yet.
Evidence suggests the involvement of an organized criminal group that allegedly includes both the owner of a distribution company and a local ADM official. The ADM official is accused of leaking crucial information regarding inspection dates and targets in exchange for payments, facilitating the hiding of illegal equipment and the recovery, reformatting, and redistribution of confiscated gaming components.
The investigative team uncovered sophisticated modifications to cabling and activation systems intended to maintain these illegal operations while avoiding detection.
The probe began after ADM's central gaming controls identified "striking anomalies" in the telematic data from various gaming machines. Following extensive inspections across businesses in Cosenza, authorities seized 145 machines suspected of housing a concealed, tampered circuit board. From these machines, they confiscated approximately €80,000 ($89,188) in cash.
Cyber forensic analysis of seized devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and memory drives, unveiled a method for redirecting stakes away from the monitoring network. The operation also involved installing cloned circuit boards alongside authorized ADM-connected boards and utilizing remote wireless controls, modified cabling, timers, or monitor switches to funnel gameplay to the illegal boards, allowing wagers to be collected off the books.
This investigation follows closely on the heels of a similar crackdown on former employees linked to a fraudulent scheme involving Gratta e Vinci scratchcards. Authorities previously seized over €25 million in assets from five former employees of a gaming concessionaire. While the company itself has not been accused, prosecutors allege that these individuals exploited their privileged access to identify winning tickets ahead of time, thereby circumventing the game’s randomness.
In light of these incidents, the trade association EGP-FIPE expressed concerns in June that the gambling sector is currently facing a "regulatory deadlock" that may lead to an increase in unregulated gambling activities in Italy.
