Cosenza prosecutor and ADM execute 15 precautionary measures in slot-machine probe

Carabinieri and personnel from Italy's Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) executed 15 precautionary measures following an investigation by the Cosenza prosecutor's office into the alleged illegal management of gaming machines, the agency said. The measures comprise two house arrests, six non-custodial restrictions and seven one-year bans on carrying out gaming activity. The investigation alleges criminal association, corruption, disclosure of official secrets, aggravated fraud and aiding and abetting.

According to the prosecution, the scheme relied on double bookkeeping and wireless remote controls to divert slot-machine plays onto illegal circuits and evade the single tax on gaming machines (Preu). An unauthorised board was installed alongside the regular one connected to the state, copies of smart cards were used to bypass electronic blocks and sensors were deactivated.

The prosecution alleges the group used an ADM employee who, in exchange for money, is said to have given the suspects advance notice of planned inspections, allowing irregularities to be concealed. The official is also accused of taking boxes of already-seized cards from storage, which were then formatted and put back on the market.

The operation follows an investigation that in November 2025 had already led to the preventive seizure of assets worth more than €12m. Computer analysis of smartphones, computers and storage media by the carabinieri and ADM technicians was used to establish the roles of the suspects, from device suppliers to maintenance technicians. The accusations must now be examined in adversarial court proceedings.