Italian investigators are examining an alleged insider scheme in which lottery employees are accused of using internal systems to identify high-value scratch cards before they reached retail outlets.
The case centres on four winning Gratta e Vinci tickets worth a combined €24 million. Authorities say the tickets were allegedly traced in advance and then purchased by people connected to the insiders after the employees learned where and when the winning cards would be delivered.
What Investigators Allege
The investigation involves four employees and two former employees of Lottomatica, the company that operated Italy’s state-backed Gratta e Vinci scratch-card lottery at the time.
According to court documents, the group allegedly used legitimate employee credentials to access internal company systems between 2015 and 2019.
Investigators claim this access allowed them to identify four jackpot-winning tickets before they were sold:
- Two tickets worth €5 million each.
- Two tickets worth €7 million each.
The employees were also allegedly able to determine which retailers would receive the tickets and the dates on which the shipments were expected to arrive.
Friends and Relatives Allegedly Bought the Winning Tickets
Rather than purchasing the tickets themselves, the insiders allegedly arranged for relatives and acquaintances to visit the relevant retailers and buy batches of scratch cards containing the guaranteed winners.
The winning tickets appeared in several parts of Italy:
- Two €5 million prizes were claimed in Milan and the surrounding Brescia area in 2015.
- A €7 million ticket was bought in Foggia in 2017.
- Another €7 million ticket was purchased in Cremona in 2019.
Investigators reportedly found the locations notable because many of the people linked to the case lived in Rome, far from some of the stores where the winning tickets were sold.
Prize Money Was Allegedly Shared With Insiders
Authorities claim the people who physically purchased the winning tickets kept part of the prize money and later transferred the remaining funds to accounts connected with the lottery employees.
The alleged arrangement would have allowed the insiders to benefit from the jackpots without appearing as the direct purchasers of the winning tickets.
Lottomatica has cooperated with the investigation and is not accused of wrongdoing.
More Than €25 Million in Assets Frozen
The Lazio section of Italy’s Court of Auditors has ordered the freezing of assets worth more than €25 million as part of the proceedings against five former employees linked to the alleged scheme.
The frozen assets reportedly include:
- 25 properties located across six Italian provinces.
- Cars and motorcycles.
- Financial assets and account holdings.
The action is connected to the alleged financial damage suffered by the public sector.
Why the State Says the Case Caused Public Losses
The central argument from authorities is that the alleged use of internal information removed the element of chance that should normally determine who buys a winning scratch card.
If the tickets had not been deliberately targeted, some of the jackpots might have remained unclaimed or been purchased by unrelated customers.
Because the lottery was state-backed, investigators argue that the alleged manipulation resulted in losses affecting public funds.
Legal Proceedings Are Still Ongoing
The five people targeted by the asset-freeze proceedings have challenged the allegations during the preliminary stage of the case.
Prosecutors have nevertheless continued with the proceedings.
A judge must now decide whether the asset freeze should remain in place while the broader criminal investigation and related court action continue.
Why the Case Stands Out
The allegations are unusual because the suspected advantage did not come from manipulating the scratch cards themselves. Instead, investigators say the key advantage came from access to internal logistical information.
If proven, the scheme would show how seemingly routine operational data, such as ticket distribution records and delivery schedules, can become highly sensitive when connected to guaranteed winning products.
