Five former employees of Lottomatica Holding are facing claims exceeding €25 million from Italian authorities due to an alleged scheme involving four winning Gratta e Vinci scratch cards, which together totaled €24 million. The Lazio prosecutor, operating from Italy’s Court of Accounts, asserts that these ex-employees exploited their privileged access to company systems to identify winning tickets before they were sold in retail shops.
In response to the prosecutor's request, the Guardia di Finanza of Rome seized five vehicles, various financial assets, and 25 properties spread across six provinces in Italy. Reports indicate that all five individuals have been summoned to appear before the public accounting tribunal. This seizure aims to preserve assets while the court reviews the financial and reputational damages incurred by Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency.
Details of the alleged lottery fraud reveal that the former employees utilized corporate credentials to gain access to and manipulate company computer systems. A specific program is said to have analyzed ticket distribution data prior to the scratch cards arriving at retailers, enabling the group to pinpoint four winning tickets and their corresponding sales outlets. The scheme reportedly involved enlisting friends and family to purchase the identified winning tickets. Among the four tickets, two claimed prizes of €7 million each, while the other two were valued at €5 million each.
The prosecutor's office contends that unauthorized access to sensitive information compromised the integrity of the lottery process, resulting in damages to the state. The illicit activities are said to have occurred between 2015 and 2019, with the current case stemming from a wider investigation in 2020 that encompassed more than a dozen individuals. The current actions involving the Court of Accounts relate specifically to the five former employees and are projected at €25,067,224.
