A criminal network linked to minor football betting was dismantled this morning by the Carabinieri of the Reggio Calabria Provincial Command and the financial police of the Special Currency Police Unit. The Court of Reggio Calabria has issued precautionary measures of house arrest against five people, investigated for criminal conspiracy aimed at sports fraud.
The investigation, coordinated by the Reggio Calabria Public Prosecutor's Office and begun in January 2024, stemmed from a report from the Customs and Monopolies Agency regarding anomalous betting flows on a Primavera match.
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The criminal activity also involved other corrupt referees, approached and incentivized with sums of up to €10 per match, and members of the association who provided moral and financial support, investing directly in the rigged bets. Two Tuscan entrepreneurs, a father and son, who owned a betting agency in Sesto Fiorentino, acted as the main financiers, allowing large bets to be placed even through foreign platforms not authorized in the European Union, to avoid suspicions about the money flows.
According to the investigating judge, the suspects' conduct had a direct and decisive impact on the outcome of matches, compromising the integrity of sports competitions and generating significant illicit profits. The investigation confirms the widespread nature of sports fraud in minor-league football and the authorities' focus on identifying sophisticated and transnational corruption schemes.
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This article highlights a serious problem in football, especially in the lower leagues. Sports fraud is a worrying phenomenon that could damage the sport's reputation. We hope the authorities continue to conduct thorough investigations.