Action against gambling and illegal betting

In the gaming and betting sector, the action of the Guardia di Finanza starts from the economic control of the territory, both physical and "virtual", through the constant monitoring of the web, for the identification of illicit conduct and the verification of the inhibition of the unauthorized gaming sites.

The activity of the Units is developed, therefore, in the first place, through controls of an administrative nature, within the framework of "coordinated plans of intervention" carried out at a national level, either autonomously or in synergy with the other authorities of law enforcement of the sector.

For the discovery and repression of the most serious offences, the operative units of the Corp carry out investigations of judicial police, under the direction of the investigating magistracy, availing themselves of the investigative instruments provided for by the Code of Criminal Procedure.

In this general framework, the principal finality of the control activities of the Corp is the contrast of every form of infiltration of the criminality, economic and organized, with the purpose of protecting the actors of the regular gaming chain from the unfair competition of illegal operators and the players from illegal gaming proposals, insecure and without any guarantee, safeguarding the weaker groups, first and foremost, the minors.
Like all economic sectors that offer significant profit prospects, this one too attracts the interests of criminal organisations, both for the profits that can be made and for the possibility of recycling and reusing the illegal proceeds, as well as to strengthen their control of the territory.

Among the most widespread illicit phenomena discovered are the forms of irregular gaming implemented through collections not recorded in the tax counters of the amusement machines, with consequent diversion of taxable base for the purposes of the single tax levy and direct taxes, the use of terminal devices connected to the web, the use of terminal devices connected to the web, known as 'totems', i.e. illegal devices for remote gaming, as well as the illegal collection of bets, also operated through data transmission centres used by persons without state concessions/authorisations and the offer of online gambling, through illegal casinos and websites.