Italian police have captured over Euro 20 million after investigations into an organised crime illegal gambling ring linked to Malta company Centurionbet, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project reported that week.
Centurionbet was accused by prosecutors of entering into a commercial relationship with a company controlled by Italian organised crime figures, which it was conscious of the illicit activities and rewards resulting from the growth of its network of gaming halls in the Crotone region of Italy.
Francesco Martiradonna, the suspected owner of Centurionbet, was detained after a two year investigation but denies illegal action and will fight the accusations in the Italian courts next month.
Following a series of related arrests, Centurionbet’s gaming websites were shut down, but before that hundreds of its gaming stores operated in Italy, despite having the required authorisation from the national regulator, researchers claim, alleging that in just two years the company created over Euro 150 million in participant deposits and made annual earnings of Euro 5 million.
Licensed by the Malta Gambling Authority, Centurionbet could function overseas but just as long as its regional agencies simply supplied access to the online platforms and failed to execute gambling transactions.
