Italy orders preventive seizure of more than €25M in Gratta e Vinci case

On 23 October 2026 a preventive seizure of property and financial assets worth more than €25,067,224 was executed in relation to five former employees of the concessionaire responsible for the Gratta e Vinci instant-win games. The measure was ordered by the Lazio section of the Corte dei conti after proceedings were opened by the regional prosecutors and seeks to preserve funds that could be required to satisfy a potential judgment. The charges have not been fixed by a final sentence.

Scope and assets affected

The order, classified under Italian law as a sequestro conservativo, was executed by the Rome provincial command of the Guardia di Finanza following the decision of the Corte dei conti of Lazio. It covers 25 real-estate units — including apartments, small villas, garages and cellars — located in the provinces of Rome, Viterbo, Treviso, Taranto, Grosseto and Reggio Calabria. Five vehicles (cars and motorcycles) and stakes or positions in financial instruments are also affected.

Prosecutors set the alleged damage to the public administration at €25,067,224, an amount that exceeds the combined value of the four prizes involved, €24,000,000. That total comprises two top prizes of €7,000,000 each and two prizes of €5,000,000 each.

What investigators allege

According to inquiries by the Guardia di Finanza, the five former employees allegedly used access credentials to the concessionaire’s IT systems to identify high-value winning tickets and to determine which points of sale would receive those tickets. Associates and relatives then allegedly purchased the tickets at those points of sale.

The four prizes at the center of the investigation relate to transactions recorded between 2015 and 2019: two €5 million prizes linked to tickets bought in 2015, and two €7 million prizes connected to purchases in 2017 and 2019. Prosecutors distinguish between mere purchase of winning tickets and the use of insider information about prize locations.

“The measure is precautionary and seeks to preserve assets pending a possible financial liability,” the prosecutors said in reference to the sequestro conservativo, according to the Guardia di Finanza’s filings.

Why the claim is brought on behalf of the public administration

The claim is pursued on behalf of the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM), the Italian authority responsible for customs and monopolies, and not as a suit filed by the concessionaire. Prosecutors’ theory rests on the possibility that the four prizes went unclaimed and therefore that the corresponding funds reverted to the public treasury rather than being paid out.

The gap between the €24 million in prizes and the €25,067,224 claimed reflects the overall figure prosecutors have put in dispute in the audit proceedings; its legal and accounting basis will be assessed by the court.

Role of the concessionaire and the concession framework

The concessionaire is Lotterie Nazionali S.r.l., identified by the ADM as responsible for managing the instant-ticket system. The ADM describes the process of recording prizes on tickets and their validation through the concessionaire’s IT system. The current concession contract runs until 30 September 2028.

Authorities have expressly stated that the company is not indicted as a participant in the conduct attributed to the former employees. The investigation raises questions instead about segregation of duties, access controls and detection of atypical activity in the systems that manage ticket production and distribution.

Ongoing procedure and background

The five former employees have been summoned before the Corte dei conti to answer in the audit proceedings. A designated judge must decide whether to confirm, modify or revoke the preventive seizure order; that decision will determine whether restrictions on the assets remain in force.

Attention to ticket purchases had already emerged in a criminal investigation reported in 2020, which addressed suspicions related to IT system access and acquisition of winning tickets. Criminal cases and proceedings before the Corte dei conti follow distinct paths: the mere existence of the prior criminal investigation does not, by itself, establish liability in the audit proceedings.

Control and public‑trust implications

Prosecutors place the integrity of the instant-lottery system and protection of public revenue at the centre of the case. The accusation relies on the hypothesis of improper use of internal information to influence who could obtain prizes, and that hypothesis raises issues about access credentials, segregation of duties and system monitoring. The case also touches on contractual oversight between the ADM and the concessionaire; for regulatory context see [Regulation coverage](/regulation).

The development of the proceedings will test the evidential basis for the claim of €25,067,224 and whether any financial liability recoverable in favour of the ADM exists. Until a final judgment is issued, the allegations must be treated as claims and not as a finding of guilt.

Miguel Sandoval, Corresponsal de regulación.