Maltese-linked Betsolution executives cleared of mafia ties in decade-long Italian case

An Italian court has acquitted two directors of a Maltese-registered gaming company of mafia association, closing a high-profile case that had cast a shadow over Malta’s iGaming sector for nearly a decade.

Domenico Lagrotteria and Alessandro Ciaffi, Italian executives of Betsolution, were arrested in Malta and extradited to Italy in 2015 as part of Operation Gambling, an anti-mafia probe into online betting operations with alleged ‘Ndrangheta links. However, the court in Reggio Calabria found no proof of mafia infiltration in their business dealings.

The case drew attention in Malta because Betsolution was represented locally by GVM Holding Ltd, a company owned by David Gonzi, son of former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. While GVM Holding Ltd provided fiduciary services, it was never implicated in any wrongdoing.

At the height of the investigation, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) suspended the licences of Uniq Group Ltd and Betsolution4U Ltd, two firms linked to the probe that had operated in Malta since 2011.

While Lagrotteria and Ciaffi were cleared, two others, Antonino Alvaro and Cristian Fortunato, were convicted of mafia ties and sentenced to 10 and seven years in prison, respectively, with their assets seized. The court also acquitted several others, including betting agents and an international poker provider, ruling that “the alleged crimes never happened.”

Operation Gambling: The ‘Ndrangheta’s Betting Empire

The case stemmed from a 2015 crackdown on a vast online gambling network allegedly controlled by the Calabrian mafia. Key suspect Mario Gennaro, described as the ‘Ndrangheta’s “new man” in gaming, was extradited from Malta and later became a state witness.

Italian authorities had accused the network of using Malta-based companies to launder money through poker tournaments and online betting. At its peak, the operation allegedly controlled 1,500 betting shops across Italy, with Italian police seizing €2 billion in assets.

The acquittals bring partial closure to a case that once raised concerns about mafia infiltration in Malta’s gaming sector. The MGA, which had pledged its cooperation with Italian authorities, has since tightened regulations to safeguard the industry’s reputation.