Its Bananas

About Its Bananas

The regulator noted that several operators received “additional points for attention”, indicating that while these applicants met minimum legal thresholds, the KSA expected continuous improvements in compliance practices.

In June, one of the operators, TOTO online BV, was reported for violating the ban on featuring role models in advertising materials.

This was not the first time TOTO has been in trouble with KSA. The platform was fined in 2022 for a similar endeavour – gambling advertisements that were seemingly aimed at young people.   

How to play Its Bananas

In an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune in June, Grasso complained that “some members of the Chicago news media stigmatize Italian Americans as Outfit members or mafia operatives whenever it serves to embellish a story.”

Federal prosecutors, however, do not mention the mafia in court documents. They allege the gambling ring generated millions of dollars through illegal sports betting, video gambling, and loansharking operations, with members using intimidation and violence—or the threat of it—to collect debts.  

Rovito’s past criminal record includes convictions for aggravated criminal sexual assault and possession of a controlled substance.

How to play Its Bananas

The DGRAD has been tasked with identifying and securing the cancellation of any irregularly issued payment notices.

The Ministry of Finance stated that any approval, authorisation, payment notice or other act issued by a department without authorisation was “devoid of legal effect”, with operators still liable for fulfilling their obligations to the DRC’s Public Treasury.

The DRC is perceived by many as a gambling market with significant potential, owing largely to its population well in excess of 100 million people.