International seminar on gambling and organized crime
The international seminar on "Illegal gambling and organized crime" , sponsored by the Italian Presidency of the EU Council, was held from 21 to 23 October 2014, at the National Police Academy in Rome.
The event was organized in cooperation with Cepol, the European Police College, set up in 2000 and established as EU Agency in 2005.
The Italian Cepol National Unit is based at the Interagency Law Enforcement College of Advanced Studies (Scuola di Perfezionamento per le Forze di Polizia) in Rome, whose director is the head of the Italian delegation and member of Cepol's governing board. He brings to the attention of the European Police College's highest decision-making body the training needs of all Italian police forces.
For the first time Cepol dealt with the gambling issue, analyzing the legal and regulatory framework, alongside with investigation activities and good practices to improve police cooperation. Also the medical and psychological factors of addiction and compulsive gambling were assessed during the meeting.
Illegal gambling is under the attention of the European Parliament, which called on the European Commission to expand the scope of the Anti-Money Laundering Directive to include online gambling. The October meeting was also an opportunity for a reflection on the social responsibility of institutions, the legislative choices made by the Member States on the gambling phenomenon, and the infiltrations by organized crime.
"The seminar on illegal gambling and organized crime focused on issues which need to be further addressed in the context of international police cooperation" said the head of Cepol Italian National Unit Rossana Farina, "because it is important to define the strategies that European police forces can put in place to combat this phenomenon, which is on the rise in accession countries".