Mafia in Palermo invested in overseas betting sites: difficult to trace transactions online

Last Updated: November 26, 2023

Mafia was investing up to two and a half million euros per month in betting, fueling illegal online sites that were impossible to trace and therefore real gold mines for the organization. This generated a huge amount of money comparable to that of drug trafficking, and in some ways even safer, with a large network of legitimate betting agencies across different regions in Italy. The transfers were made to third-party game accounts using illegal foreign platforms, making the bets untraceable, evading taxes, and violating anti-money laundering regulations. The operation was led by boss Francesco Paolo Maniscalco, a key figure in the investigation, who had ties to various companies in the gaming industry. The companies were run by proxies but managed by Maniscalco and his trusted men. The investigation resulted in the seizure of assets worth 43 million euros and the arrest of the two businessmen involved. It was revealed that the Mafia invested in the business, with the money eventually returning to them. The scheme started in 2007 and involved multiple company transfers and cash transfer systems to try and deceive investigators. Interceptions suggested that the businessmen were aware of the illegal nature of their operations and the potential profits involved.