Cosenza authorities impose precautionary measures on 15 in slot-machine probe

Carabinieri from the provincial command in Cosenza, with staff from Italy's Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), executed personal precautionary measures against 15 people on 26 October 2026, according to an investigation notice. The order was issued by the preliminary investigations judge at the court of Cosenza at the request of the public prosecutor's office in Cosenza. Two of those concerned were placed under house arrest, six received non-custodial measures and seven were barred from carrying out gambling activity for one year.

Investigators allege offences including criminal association aimed at crimes against the public administration, against property and against the administration of justice, as well as corruption for acts contrary to official duties, disclosure and use of official secrets, aggravated fraud against the state and aiding and abetting. The notice states that the measures rest on serious indications at the preliminary investigation stage, which requires subsequent verification in court proceedings with the defence.

According to the notice, the investigation began with an analysis by the ADM's games control office in Rome of telematic flows and collection meters, which found anomalies in the play volumes of numerous amusement-with-prize (AWP) machines. In an initial phase, checks at commercial premises in various municipalities of the province of Cosenza led to the seizure of 145 machines suspected of using a double or tampered board, along with about €80,000 contained inside the machines.

The notice states that on 6 November 2025 the same judge, at the prosecutor's request, ordered preventive seizure, including by equivalent value, of financial resources, assets and other utilities for an amount of more than €12m from an economic operator in the management of telematic gambling machines. The measure concerned the alleged offence of embezzlement relating to sums for the single state levy (PREU) on amounts collected from play.

Investigators allege a fraudulent scheme based on a cloned board placed alongside the regular board connected to the state telematic network, so that not all sums played were recorded. According to the notice, wireless remote controls, modified wiring, timers or monitor switches diverted play to the illegal board, while clone smart cards and glue or ties on tamper sensors were used to prevent the machine from locking. The sums were allegedly taken from the machines at collection without payment of the corresponding PREU.

The notice describes an alleged corrupt agreement between the entrepreneur in the slot-machine distribution sector and a official at the ADM office in Cosenza. In exchange for periodic payments, the official allegedly disclosed in advance the dates, times and targets of planned checks, allowing illegal boards to be hidden and lawful operation temporarily restored, and allegedly removed sealed boxes containing previously seized AWP boards from ADM storage and handed them to the entrepreneur and a trusted technician for formatting, resetting of meters and return to the market.

The notice also sets out the alleged roles of other participants, including a supplier said to have provided altered gaming boards, cloned smart cards, electronic components and technical support, and people in the operational technical network who allegedly handled maintenance, installation, management, removal, restoration and concealment of altered equipment. One of them allegedly removed or hid illegal boards during checks and worked on sealed containers holding previously seized boards. The measures also concern the ADM official for alleged corruption and disclosure offences, association participants for alleged aggravated fraud against the state, and operators, managers or others with control of premises and machines that allegedly allowed altered AWP equipment to be installed and operated, as well as aiding and abetting.

The criminal proceedings are currently at the preliminary investigation stage, the notice states.