Padua Financial Police and Local Police have dismantled an illegal gambling den in the city centre as part of a wider investigation into alleged organised criminal activity involving Chinese nationals.
The operation, coordinated by the Euganean Prosecutor's Office, resulted in eight arrests and 24 charges covering drug trafficking, aiding and abetting illegal immigration, illegal entry and residence in Italy, illegal possession of weapons and participation in illegal gambling.
Authorities said the investigation began after territorial control checks identified several Chinese nationals living across Padua, including the train station area, Arcella, Stanga and nearby municipalities such as Cadoneghe, Vigonza, Saonara, Piove di Sacco and Terrassa Padovana.
Investigators then used wiretaps, surveillance and follow-up checks across several provinces, including Padua, Venice, Vicenza, Treviso, Rovigo, Milan, Modena and Prato.
Police said the suspects regularly attended an illegal gambling venue, restaurants, nightclubs in the Padua area and the Venice casino. The clandestine gambling site was allegedly used for poker and mahjong games involving large sums of money.
During the operation, authorities seized around 3kg of narcotics, including methamphetamine, amphetamines, ecstasy pills, crack and marijuana. Officers also found six precision scales, packaging materials, one knife, two blank pistols, 50 four-pointed nails, 93 bullets, €3,870 ($4,176) in cash, seven mobile phones, one table and 102 mahjong tiles.
The case sits within Italy's broader enforcement framework for gambling activity, where legal oversight is handled through licensing, venue controls and monitoring systems overseen by the Customs and Monopolies Agency.
While recent enforcement cases have often focused on off-network gaming machines, the Padua investigation shows authorities are also targeting private venues where gambling is allegedly connected to other criminal offences.
The operation comes as Italy continues to review its gambling framework, including reforms covering land-based gaming and machine networks.
In April 2026, Italian authorities in Sassari imposed €22,000 in administrative fines after two non-compliant amusement and entertainment machines were seized at a private club. The machines were found to allow cash-prize gambling without being connected to Italy's state monitoring network.
Mahjong is a tile-based game commonly played socially, but gambling authorities treat wagering on games outside authorised venues as illegal gambling activity
