Fake card plates in Italy's AWP machines: ADM official leaked information

In the Italian city of Cosenza, prosecutors have moved against a criminal scheme that allegedly manipulated online gaming machines on a large scale across the region. According to the prosecutor's office, which announced the information on Monday, 15 people accused of manipulating AWP prize-based entertainment machines have been subject to precautionary orders. The suspects face charges of tax evasion and bribery.

A judge at the Cosenza court issued the preliminary decision in cooperation with staff from the gaming regulator ADM. Under the orders, two people were placed under house arrest and six were subject to judicial control. Seven people were banned from carrying out gaming activities for one year.

The investigation is described as being at a preliminary stage. None of the suspects has yet been tried. According to the initial evidence, there is an organized criminal group that includes the owner of a distribution company and a local official working within ADM.

According to the investigation, the ADM official leaked sensitive information about audit dates and targets in exchange for payment. This allowed illegal cards to be concealed and seized game parts to be recovered, reshaped and redistributed. The network is alleged to have made complex changes to wiring and activation systems to avoid detection.

The probe began when ADM's central monitoring system detected "striking anomalies" in the telematic data of a large number of gaming machines. Comprehensive on-site inspections of commercial premises in Cosenza led to the seizure of 145 machines, which are suspected of containing a hidden second, manipulated circuit board. Around 80,000 euros in cash was also seized from the machines.

Forensic examination of the seized smartphones, tablets, computers and storage devices revealed a method of diverting bets away from the monitoring network. Investigators also found illegally cloned circuit boards installed alongside cards linked to the official ADM system. Using remote wireless controls, modified cables, timers and monitoring switches, games were redirected to illegal cards and bets were collected off the books.