The so-called “King of Slots,” Luigi Tancredi, was one of 11 people arrested in Italy for involvement in illegal video lottery and online gambling operations with mafia ties. The businesses used 12,000 virtual gaming tables throughout the country. As part of “the Imitation Game” sting, officials also seized .8 million in assets, including restaurants, cars and checking accounts, according to Corriere della Sera.
Prosecutor Michele Prestipino said Tancredi, known in gaming circles in Italy and abroad, and his associates developed “a system of gambling and online games much more profitable than drug trafficking.” Investigators located the group’s illegal website server, called “dollaropoker,” in Tampa, Florida and the site’s computer technicians in Romania.
Tancredi allegedly had close links with members of the Naples-based mafia group Camorra.
