Italy’s ‘King of Slots’ arrested for tax evasion, money laundering

A man dubbed Italy’s ‘King of Slots’ has been arrested in the Caribbean on charges of money laundering and tax evasion.

Tuesday brought word that police on the Netherlands Antilles island of Sint Maarten had arrested five individuals on charges of conspiracy to commit tax evasion, money laundering and embezzlement.

Among the individuals clapped in irons at the behest of Italian investigators was Francesco Corallo, the Sicilian native behind a sprawling gambling empire. Also under arrest are former Italian legislator Amedeo Laboccetta and Dutch national Rudolf Baetsen.

Corallo’s business interests include the Atlantis World Group, which operates casinos in Sint Maarten, Curacao and the Dominican Republic. Corallo also controls Italy’s B Plus Gaming, which last year changed its name to Global Starnet Ltd, although B Plus remains the B2C brand.