The Malta-registered gaming companies with alleged links to the Italian mafia went through multiple due diligence checks by different entities, which found nothing irregular.

Uniq Group (Betuniq) and Betsolution4U had their licences suspended this week after an investigation by Italian police found what they believe are links to an organised crime network that used online gaming for money-laundering.

The criminal activity is linked to the Calabrian Mafia, ’Ndrangheta, which the Italian police say ran a sophisticated operation in which dirty cash then landed in tax havens such as Panama, the West Indies and Romania.

The assets seized this week from ’Ndrangheta, which controls much of Europe's cocaine trade, are worth around €2 billion, according to the Italian police.

An Italian judge also ordered the arrest of 41 people in several countries, including six Italians in Malta. In court last Wednesday they all gave their consent for extradition to prove they had nothing to do with the allegations made against them.

The Malta Gaming Authority stressed the allegations have still to be proven. It outlined the checks it imposes on the industry and explained how it carries out continuous monitoring.

GVM Holdings Limited, the firm that provided fiduciary services to the companies, also said it had conducted its own separate due diligence checks before taking on the clients but no red flags were raised.

GVM Holdings has terminated its services to the companies.

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