Gambling Commission suspend Paradise licence

A London-based online betting company, whose assets were recently frozen by the authorities in Italy as part of a police operation to break up a major mafia gang, has now had its licence suspended by the Gambling Commission.

Paradise Bet Ltd of Hounslow, which was granted a casino and general betting licence in April 2007, has been linked to a three-year investigation into the Parisi clan whose members are accused of attempted murder, drug trafficking, loan-sharking, interfering with the bidding process for public contracts and money laundering.

Local politicians and businessman in the southern Italian city of Bari, where the website paradisebet.it lists it operating office, were believed to be among 74 people arrested along with head of the clan, Savino Parisi.