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Italian police have arrested 18 individuals in connection with an online gambling rigging scheme with at least 64 other persons of interest still being probed.
Among those arrested are Antonio Contaldo, 50, the alleged ring-leader of the organization.
Dubbed ‘Operation Jamm Jamm’, authorities claim the Mafia-linked online gambling site made it impossible for players to win large sums of money.
The property has now been seized, along with 20 other business, including an “illegal dentist’s office.”
Casino.org ran down the list of charges, nearly a dozen:
Membership of a criminal organization, offering illegal online gambling, extortion, money laundering, fraudulent transfer of assets, computer fraud, unauthorized access to computer systems, falsehoods, domestic violence, unlawful practice of a health profession (must be the dentist), and disclosure of official secrets (no idea).
The websites shut down in connection with the case include www4.dgbpoker.com; www.pkgambling373.com; www.pkwildpoker.net; www.betfaktor.com; www.new5.betaland.com; www.new4.betaland.com; www.new2.betaland.com; www.new1.betaland.com; www.new.betaland.com; and www.betaland.com.
In January, the probe netted 11 individuals tied to the Dolaro Poker Network.
The online gambling site planetwin365 has widely been reported to have been tied to the group but that site's operators have gone on the defensive, issuing the following statement to Gambling911.com:
Following the significant results by operation "Jamm Jamm", conducted by the Guardia di Finanza in the South of Italy, SKS365 Malta Ltd, owner of the planetwin365 brand and active as a nationally licensed gaming operator throughout Italy, emphasizes that it is completely unrelated to any illegal activities perpetrated by the defendants. According to SKS365, planetwin365 is in fact an injured party in the activities which have been brought to light.
As was evidenced by the Italian investigators, the now accused defendants would in fact exploit the reputation and popularity of planetwin365’s services to carry out their fraudulent activities. SKS365 points out that the investigated activities were carried out through people and entities who were not part of planetwin365’s network of 1001 shops in Italy.
SKS365 has already been active for some time in reporting to authorities so-called "under the table" operations in unlicensed gaming establishment in Italy. SKS365 will in every possible way safeguard its good name and its licensed and regulated operations in Italy. The company will continue to support the investigations in order to protect its customers and ensure the correctness of local shop management and the proper implementation of corporate standards.
The operation was named after a discotheque called Jamm Jamm for which police claim was operated using the proceeds from the illegal online gambling operation.
- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com
