Italian police shut down illegal gambling dens in Cicciano and Castel Volturno

Carabinieri in Cicciano, a town near Naples, raided a recreational club that had been converted into an unlicensed gambling hall. Investigators seized functioning computers used to access offshore betting sites, confiscated equipment and charged the venue’s owner with running illegal bets that pose a high risk of gambling addiction, especially among youths.

In a separate operation in Castel Volturno, prosecutors led by Nicola Gratteri exposed the so‑called “Area 51” gambling den run by members of the Russo clan. The venue doubled as a cocaine distribution point, with 30 grams of the drug found in a suspect’s pocket and a dog used to shield the stash during a police raid. Multiple raids in 2023 resulted in arrests and seizures, highlighting the link between clandestine betting rooms and organized‑crime drug networks in southern Italy.