For lawyer Stefano Sbordoni the recent operation of the Guardia di Finanza of Catania on the one hand marks yet another victory of the state against illegal gambling, but on the other side leaves questions about the costs of these operations and demonstrates how much the Italian state is stifling in terms of tax revenue due to the closure of legal gaming activities.
The important operation carried out on 3 March by over 150 financiers of the Provincial Command of the Guardia di Finanza of Catania with the support and collaboration of the S.C.I.C.O. (Central Organized Crime Investigation Service), which has implemented between Italy, Germany, Poland and Malta an order of personal and real precautionary measures issued by the G.I.P. at the local Court, at the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Catania - District Anti-Mafia Directorate, against 23 people under investigation for various reasons for abusive gambling and betting, tax evasion, aggravated fraud, self-laundering, all conducts aggravated by the purpose of favoring the interests of the mafia-type association "Santapaola-Ercolano", obviously found the approval of all operators in the gaming and betting sector. "First of all, I applaud the Guardia di Finanza which, if everything is confirmed, has defeated a huge illegal business", Stefano Sbordoni told Agimeg in his capacity as Secretary General of U.t.i.s. However, the well-known Roman lawyer asked some questions about how much this operation cost and how much the State could have lost in terms of tax revenue. In fact, lawyer Sbordoni hopes that the new government and Prime Minister Draghi will finally understand the "double loss for the coffers of the Italian State" and that "there is no longer any logical reason to remain in this condition and keep gaming activities closed while continuing to suffer such damage".
