The Malta Gaming Authority has suspended the Class 2 remote gaming license of Phoenix International Ltd, which operated several online betting sites after an Italian police raid of internet cafés.
Phoenix International operates several online gaming sites including B2875.com, Bsport24.com and B28sport.com, none of which are currently accessible.
The suspension comes after raids on dozens of internet cafés by Italian police. The Palermo-centered anti-mafia operation was called Game Over. Among the 23 individuals arrested on Thursday was B2875 owner Benedetto Bacchi.
Bacchi has been accused of being a “betting king” who reportedly controlled a network of 700 betting shops across Italy.
According to a report at CalvinAyre.com, Bacchi’s betting featured terminals that connected to the Malta-licensed Phoenix gambling sites. The unauthorized operations reportedly generated undeclared revenue of €1m each month, much of which was allegedly kicked back to organized crime figures.
Police closed at least 40 of Bacchi’s shops, while freezing bank accounts and seizing real estate, companies and other assets with a combined worth of over €4m.
The authority’s suspension notice ordered Phoenix to “indefinitely suspend all gaming operations, cease to register new players, suspend all transactions on all websites, including deposits and withdrawals, and submit all data and documentation requested by the authority.”
The authority said no further info would be released so as not to compromise any current or future investigations into the alleged criminality, the report said.
However, the arrests are certainly a headache for the authority, which only recently denied media reports that Palermo-based Mafia clans had “advanced plans” to move their operations to Malta to avoid Italian police raids.
