As part of a territorial control service aimed at combating illegal gambling, the military personnel of the Station Rizziconitogether with officials of the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), have carried out checks inside a bar in Rizziconi where fines of almost one million euros had already been imposed.
Not satisfied with the fine already obtained in May of this year, the owner of the bar has not adopted in the meantime the necessary measures to regularize the activity, persevering in his illicit conduct.
Despite the initial seizure of the four slot machines, in fact, the owner bought four new ones and built a plasterboard wall in his premises to hide from view the wing used as an “amusement room” in the illusion that, by walling up the main entrance to the room, he would evade the controls. During the joint intervention, the ADM and the Carabinieri of Rizziconi immediately noted a situation completely similar to that of a few months ago.
In fact, inside the premises there was a real illegal gaming room, with four perfectly functioning slot machines that were clumsily hidden. The “secret” access was hidden by a painting on the wall that led to a door that was difficult to see because it was painted identically to the rest of the wall.
Following the investigations, it was discovered that there was no registration in the list of owners of entertainment machines, that the prohibited games table had not been affixed and that the entertainment tax had not been paid. The owner was also reported to the Judicial Authority at liberty for computer fraud, as the devices, lacking authorisations, had presumably been manufactured and programmed for profit, with the relevant counterfeit game card in order to prevent communication. online of the games played and the correct taxation of the sums of money played. These irregularities are in addition to those already found in the previous investigation, among which there is also a large tax penalty for tax evasion. Adding all the penalties applied on this occasion and the previous one, the figure exceeds one and a half million euros.
This type of checks, carried out synergistically by the Carabinieri and ADM, allow the fight against widespread non-compliance with the stringent regulations on entertainment and betting machines, as well as the promotion of safe and responsible gaming.
It should be noted that the criminal proceedings in question are still in the preliminary investigation phase and the defendant is not to be considered guilty until a final conviction.