Italian authorities have imposed €22,000 ($23,870) in administrative fines following an inspection into illegal gambling activity at a private club in the province of Sassari.
The operation was carried out by the Administrative Police Team of the Sassari Police Headquarters alongside personnel from Italy's Customs and Monopolies Agency.
According to the authorities, the inspection led to the discovery and seizure of two amusement and entertainment machines, known as AWPs, that did not comply with current regulations.
Officials said the machines were capable of facilitating gambling with cash prizes but had not been connected to the state-run electronic control network managed by the Customs and Monopolies Agency. Under Italy's gambling framework, that connection is required to support legal oversight, transaction traceability and player protection measures.
The inspection formed part of a wider enforcement effort targeting illegal gambling activity in the area. Authorities said the work is intended to prevent and repress unauthorised gambling, while also addressing tax evasion risks linked to machines operating outside the regulated system.
No further details were disclosed about the private club or whether additional proceedings are expected.
Italy has continued to step up enforcement around land-based gaming machines as authorities examine compliance across venues and the broader structure of the market.
Cases involving a relatively small number of machines have drawn attention because of the tax losses and regulatory breaches that can arise when equipment is not connected to the required monitoring infrastructure.
The Sassari action also comes as Italy reviews wider gambling policy. National authorities have been examining reforms affecting land-based gambling, while regulators have also discussed changes to the online framework, including technical standards and live gaming rules.
The latest case in Sardinia adds to a series of enforcement actions showing that Italian authorities remain focused on machine compliance, licensing controls and the monitoring systems used to supervise gambling activity across the country.
Earlier this month, authorities in Turin uncovered seven illegal slot machines that were not linked to ADM's telematic monitoring system, resulting in more than €6m in unpaid taxes and penalties. The case also involved additional labour-related violations and equipment issues, underlining the scale of financial exposure tied to off-network machines in Italy.
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