Italian soccer players Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Fagioli have been handed criminal punishments over their illegal gambling activity. The players have already served lengthy suspensions for gambling on soccer, but also faced criminal prosecution.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) banned Tonali from playing for 10 months and Fagioli for 7 months, effective from October 2023, for betting on soccer matches. The players have since returned to action for their respective clubs, Newcastle United and Fiorentina.
Tonali admitted to betting on matches involving his own teams when playing for Brescia and AC Milan in Italy. Fagioli admitted to wagering on soccer matches, but not games involving his teams.
The players also faced criminal charges over promoting illegal gambling sites where they placed their bets. Both players pleaded guilty to the charges. Tonali received a €78,250 ($92,000) fine, while Fagioli was given a one-month suspended prison sentence.
Tonali & Fagioli Encouraged Others to Gamble Illegally
Fagioli admitted to promoting illegal gambling sites to other players. In a deposition, he stated, “I pointed out to [fellow player Nicolò] Zaniolo illegal sites where he could make online bets, on roulette or poker … the organizers of the sites had told me that they would give me some advantages if I brought other bettors.”
Gambling advertising in Italy is prohibited, and soccer players are also under strict rules not to promote legal gambling on the sport. Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martínez is currently facing an investigation after appearing in a betting ad in his home country.
As well as promoting the platforms, Fagioli and Tonali were accused of opening accounts and delivering payments on behalf of other players, including Zaniolo, US midfielder Weston McKennie, and at least seven other Serie A players.
This group of players and other athletes, including tennis player Matteo Gigante, was found to have used the illegal platforms solely for games of chance, such as online poker or roulette, rather than betting on soccer or tennis matches.
As a result, they paid a fine of €258 (just over $300), the standard penalty in Italy for participating in unauthorized gambling.
Players Living ‘Second Life’ After Gambling Addictions
The verdict brings the investigation to an end. As part of their sporting punishments, Tonali and Fagioli also had to undergo treatment for problem gambling.
Tonali entered an 8-month program for gambling addiction and had to make at least 16 public appearances in Italy to discuss the dangers of betting. Fagioli entered a 6-month therapeutic plan and had to attend 10 public meetings at amateur sports centers and recovery clinics.
Tonali said he is now living a “second life” having recovered from his gambling addiction. In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, he said the recovery process was challenging.
“During the months away from the field, I spent a lot of time with the psychologist,” Tonali said. “His job was to make me realize how I had fallen into it.”
He said that he started gambling at 17 or 18 years old, and it gradually escalated, but he was unable to see how the addiction was developing.
“When someone finds themselves in a situation like that, it’s hard to ask them if they’re sick,” he said. “They’ll always say no, even if they feel like they’re not. They can’t believe they have that problem, so they tend to hide it.”
A gambling addict anonymously told CasinoBeats a similar story recently, revealing that the shame attached to admitting to an addiction made him keep it secret. For Tonali, his high salary meant he did not have to deal with the financial consequences of gambling losses.
“Usually, you realize it the moment you lose something: family, work, salary. In my case, my financial situation prevented me from realizing the seriousness of the situation. It was a difficult recovery process,” Tonali revealed.
In Fagioli’s case, he wagered up to €3 million ($3.5 million), racking up debts of €587,000 ($690,000). He said his “rebirth” came “when they banned me.”
“That’s when I realized what I’d been through and went back to living a normal life,” he told The Athletic. Both players have since resumed their careers and represented Italy’s national team, although the country failed to qualify for the third successive World Cup this summer.
Gambling Ringleaders Handed Prison Sentences
As part of the same investigation, those behind the betting platforms where Tonali and Fagioli placed their wagers were handed prison sentences.
Thomas De Giacomo and Patrick Frizzera were sentenced to 2 years and 3 months and 2 years in prison, respectively. The pair allegedly acted as “gatekeepers,” providing players with passwords to private digital “rooms” where they could bet on poker, roulette, and sports without limits.
Two of the sites identified in the investigation were Betsport22.com and Vipsport360.com. Both are no longer operational.
To cover up the gambling transactions, the scheme arranged for players in gambling debt to purchase ghost watches from the Milan-based jewelry store Elysium Group.
The players would send bank transfers to Elysium for “luxury watches” (specifically Rolex and Patek Philippe models). The jewelry store would issue a real invoice for a physical object, but the watch was never delivered.
Three men, Antonio Scinocca, Antonino Parise, and Andrea Piccini, received prison sentences of 2 years and 6 months as part of a plea bargain. They were found guilty of money laundering and aiding the illegal betting operation.
