Italian Restaurant Caught Running Illegal Roulette Gambling

Although the Italian gambling laws permit most kinds of betting throughout the country, many Italians still like to gamble at illegal shops.

Recently, the Italian law enforcement authorities have busted an illegal roulette room at one restaurant. What is amazing is that the owners didn’t have actual machines on the premise, but a set of computer terminals connected to a British gambling site. The two men acted as promoters, bypassing regulations, and brought in clients seeking to place wagers.

The practice generated 800,000 euros (over $1,000,000) in a short span of few months before being busted. It is not clear how the authorities found out about the location, but rumors say it was one disgruntled gambler who lost a large amount of money on roulette bets. The police was also able to obtain lists of gamblers and those who won money will be subject to taxation with penalties.

What is surprising to us is that with the wide availability of legal online casinos in Italy, many gamblers still seek to play at underground venues. Perhaps, the reason is tax avoidance. However, the first idea is to win, and then worry about the taxes.

Many Italians, especially in the south of the country, prefer to place bets on sports at illegal, often mafia-run, outlets rather than placing a legal bet on sports in Italy. The legitimate sportsbooks actually offer better odds and guarantee payouts unlike godfather casinos.

With the upcoming Euro 2012 Football Championships and London Summer Olympics, the Italian punters may as well head to reputable online sportsbooks such as Bet365, Unibet, BetVictor, and many others. Many of these also have online and mobile casinos in Italy versions, giving all the betting chances at a single site.

The players can even get a sign up bonus and participate in frequent promotions. Surely these beat some gangster outfits.