Italy hits illegal gambling operation

Italy will file charges against 51 people integrating an illegal gambling operation that linked organised crime and Malta’s iGaming segment.

Italy.- The authorities have struck an illegal gambling operation in Italy linking organised crime and Malta’s iGaming segment. 51 people are facing charges after the “Galassia” inquiry, an investigation which began last November.

Besides the 51 people involved, the authorities seized over €1 billion in assets.

Italian gambling

Italian trade group LOGiCO, which represents the interest of online gambling operators in the country, has written an open letter to the President. The association is asking for open communication in order to review the current gambling regulations in Italy.

Moreno Morasco, president of LOGiCO, addressed Italian Giuseppe Conte and said that a total ban on advertising and sponsorship, as well as increased taxation on gaming, affects the online gaming sector. “Not only in economic terms, but also it harms the market itself,” says LOGiCO.

The trade body argues that the regulations undermine the solidity of the entire remote gaming regulatory system. It said that in the absence of a legal offer, it relegates the gaming demand to illegal channels, which are easily reachable. As gamblers can still access these sites, player protection is relegated and the regulations end up having the opposite effect, increasing social problems.