Italy to prosecute online gambling site
An Italian prosecutor is urging Malta to help with the investigation on the bookmaker that was suspended over mafia ties.
Italy.- Nicola Grattieri, Italy’s prosecutor, revealed that Malta hasn’t been cooperative in the case that involves the suspended Bet1128, which lost its privileges in the country over ties with the Sacra Corona Unita mafia from Italy.
The prosecutor said that Malta hasn’t answered any letter where he asked them to provide legal assistance over CenturionBet Ltd, which operates Bet1128 business. The official believes that the company has been marketing residents in Calabria, as casino.org reported. “If Malta decides not to collaborate with Italy, or replies six months or a year after I conclude my investigation, it will be useless. It is just a choice of not wanting to reply,” Gratteri said, and added that there’s something that doesn’t add up on the legislative level or at the level of controls, when it comes to the MGA.
“We need to look further into the matter, not only at a judicial level but also at administrative and political levels,” he added. CenturionBet affirmed that the MGA identified procedural irregularities in signing contracts with consultants. Whilst they showed their deepest regrets over the issue, they insisted that they acted in full compliance with the MGA’s instructions and that all the payment activities would be guaranteed. Nevertheless, the MGA linked CenturionBet with operations from a crime syndicate that earned approximately US$1.5 million over 17 months.
