Tweet
Italy-online betting scandal
Police search AS Roma offices in Internet betting probe
MILAN, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Tax police searched the headquarters of the Italian champions AS Roma on Monday as part of a probe into the promotion of Internet betting on sport, a police spokesman said.
Advertising for U.K based Eurobet, one of the online betting companies under scrutiny from Italian authorities, was on display at Roma's match with Juventus on Sunday and that has led to the club being dragged into the probe.
Gambling on sports events is heavily restricted in Italy and the public prosecutor for Rome, Giuseppe Andruzzi, launched an investigation in May into websites such as Eurobet, which is owned by British bookmakers Coral.
Eurobet is not registered with the relevant Italian authorities, but the precise legal status of Internet gambling sites is unclear in Italian law.
Bookmakers in Italy have to be given a licence by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and register with the state.
A spokesman for Italy's tax police told Reuters they visited Roma's headquarters in an attempt to find out who was behind the decision to advertise Eurobet at the Olympic stadium -- which is owned by CONI.
'Today we searched Roma's headquarters looking for a contract between the club and the British bookmakers Eurobet and to find the eventual responsibility for publicising the activity of this company at the Olympic stadium,' said the spokesman.
A Eurobet spokesman in the UK said they were operating entirely legally.
'We are not in Italy. We are an Internet site who are licenced in the UK with a website which obviously has a global reach,' said the spokesman.
'It is absolutely within our rights to advertise in Italy and it is the right of an Italian citizen to bet over the Internet, if the site is registered in its home country,' said the spokesman. He said Eurobet advertised in Italy last season and at other stadiums.
A spokesman for Roma declined to comment on the investigation.
MILAN, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Tax police searched the headquarters of the Italian champions AS Roma on Monday as part of a probe into the promotion of Internet betting on sport, a police spokesman said.
Advertising for U.K based Eurobet, one of the online betting companies under scrutiny from Italian authorities, was on display at Roma's match with Juventus on Sunday and that has led to the club being dragged into the probe.
Gambling on sports events is heavily restricted in Italy and the public prosecutor for Rome, Giuseppe Andruzzi, launched an investigation in May into websites such as Eurobet, which is owned by British bookmakers Coral.
Eurobet is not registered with the relevant Italian authorities, but the precise legal status of Internet gambling sites is unclear in Italian law.
Bookmakers in Italy have to be given a licence by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and register with the state.
A spokesman for Italy's tax police told Reuters they visited Roma's headquarters in an attempt to find out who was behind the decision to advertise Eurobet at the Olympic stadium -- which is owned by CONI.
'Today we searched Roma's headquarters looking for a contract between the club and the British bookmakers Eurobet and to find the eventual responsibility for publicising the activity of this company at the Olympic stadium,' said the spokesman.
A Eurobet spokesman in the UK said they were operating entirely legally.
'We are not in Italy. We are an Internet site who are licenced in the UK with a website which obviously has a global reach,' said the spokesman.
'It is absolutely within our rights to advertise in Italy and it is the right of an Italian citizen to bet over the Internet, if the site is registered in its home country,' said the spokesman. He said Eurobet advertised in Italy last season and at other stadiums.
A spokesman for Roma declined to comment on the investigation.
Comment