Malta Suspends Nine Online Gambling Licenses in Wake of Mafia Scandal
One of the largest online gambling jurisdictions, Malta, has come under extreme scrutiny in recent days following news that a former prime minister’s son had ties to the Italian mafia, more specifically he ‘Ndrangheta crime syndicate.
Last week, Italian authorities €2bn (£1.4bn, $2.2bn) of assets that belonged to the organization.
Police said they had seized at least 1,500 betting shops, 82 gambling websites, 45 Italian companies and 11 foreign firms, as well as a large number of other properties.
Six of the companies were in Malta, they said. Two were in Spain, two in Romania and one was in Austria.
"They bypassed the laws governing this sector, accumulating significant profits that were then reinvested in the acquisition of new companies and licences to further expand their activities," a police statement said.
Nine more online gambling companies have had their licenses suspended in recent days.
David Gonzi, son of former Maltese prime minister Lawrence Gonzi, denies any wrongdoing in relation to one of his company’s clients. David Gonzi, GVM Holdings which acted as a fiduciary for the Uniq Group, is formally included in the investigation by the Italian police.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
