Italian Lottery Scandal: Insiders Accused of Rigging $27 Million in Jackpots

Italian Lottery Employees Accused of Rigging $27 Million in Scratch-Off Jackpots

Italian authorities have frozen more than $28 million in assets belonging to five people accused of using insider information to help friends and relatives win millions in lottery prizes.

The investigation centers on six current and former employees of Lottomatica, the company that operated Italy’s state-backed Gratta e Vinci scratch-off lottery at the time. Between 2015 and 2019, they allegedly used their authorized computer access to identify four winning tickets before they reached stores.

How the Alleged Scheme Worked

According to investigators, the group identified four jackpot-winning tickets worth a combined $27 million. The tickets included:

• Two €7 million jackpots worth approximately $7.8 million each.
• Two €5 million jackpots worth approximately $5.6 million each.

Using their access to company servers, the employees allegedly discovered which retailers would receive the winning tickets and when the deliveries were scheduled.

They then reportedly arranged for relatives and acquaintances to visit those stores and purchase batches of tickets containing the guaranteed winners.

Winning Tickets Sold Across Italy

The four tickets were sold at different locations over several years:

• 2015: Two €5 million winning tickets were sold in Milan and nearby Brescia province.
• 2017: A €7 million jackpot ticket was purchased in Foggia.
• 2019: Another €7 million winner was sold in Cremona.

After collecting the prizes, the buyers allegedly kept a portion of the winnings and transferred the remaining money to accounts controlled by the lottery employees, according to investigators.

Lottomatica cooperated with law enforcement and has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Authorities Freeze More Than $28 Million

On Friday, October 23, Italy's Court of Auditors in the Lazio region ordered a freeze on assets valued at more than €25 million, or approximately $28 million, belonging to five alleged participants.

The seized assets reportedly include 25 properties across six Italian provinces, five cars and motorcycles, and financial holdings.

Authorities argue that the alleged scheme undermined the lottery's fairness by turning games of chance into guaranteed wins through access to confidential information.

The five suspects challenged the allegations during preliminary proceedings, but the case is moving forward. A judge must now determine whether the asset freeze will remain in place while the broader legal proceedings continue.