Mastermind of Swiss payment service Antepay faces 171-million fine for illegal gambling

The Antepay case describes far more than just a simple violation of Swiss gambling laws. Journalists and investigators have uncovered an impressive network centered around a prepaid payment service and various illegal (online) gambling venues. Four of those behind the operation were recently sentenced to several years in prison and an incredible fine of 171 million Swiss francs. They are said to have made no less than 324 million francs from their activities.

In mid-December, four men behind the Antepay payment card were sentenced to hefty fines by the Zurich District Court for money laundering and violations of the Swiss Gambling Act.

But that's not all:

• The court handed down prison sentences of between two and four years - some suspended, some unconditional. And some of the men had already served a year and a half in early release.
• Things even got dicey for one of the participants during the trial - a brief retraction of his confession led to harsh words from the public prosecutor. The result: the guilty plea came back faster than the judge could say "case closed".
• Sounds like an exciting story? Wait, it gets even better: who would have thought that "Antepay" was once emblazoned on the shirts of FC Zurich, one of the country's most prestigious soccer clubs? While the team was passing the ball around, the money was flowing in the background.

We recently reported on how the Austrian "Kajot" gang was able to evade prosecution for years.

Now there are not only fines and prison sentences for those involved, but also confiscated jewelry and other material assets to cover at least some of the costs incurred. Because one thing seems certain: The 171 million plus the procedural costs of another 200,000 francs per person are unlikely to be raised by those convicted.

REFLEKT research got the ball rolling in the Antepay case

Sometimes it only takes a spark to ignite a gigantic fire. In the Antepay case, this was an anonymous email that reached the investigative journalists at REFLEKT at 9:54 a.m. on January 26, 2021. The content? Pure explosives. The writer claimed that FC Zurich's shirt sponsor at the time - Antepay - was no ordinary company, but the product of organized crime in the gambling world.

The matter immediately seemed exciting to the journalists, but was anything but simple. The sender promised more information at a personal meeting, but then never showed up. And that was just the beginning of a nerve-wracking investigation in which informants arrived, provided explosive details - and disappeared just as quickly. A cat-and-mouse game in which there was obviously a great fear of reprisals.

Here is the entire Antepay case directly from REFLEKT.

Between official façade and shadowy business

• Appearances are deceptive: Antepay was officially a credit card for online stores. But instead of jewelry or electronics, it was mostly used to top up accounts at illegal gambling sites. The online casinos and sports betting portals are even said to have been created and managed directly by those responsible for the payment service. This made it possible to achieve maximum wins.
• Reputable store partners? Not a chance: The alleged partner stores such as "Sweet Date" or "JumboJewel" barely existed or had no turnover with Antepay. Even attempts to locate such stores often failed - they were fronts and nothing more.

Another curious story from Switzerland: a heated 11 million euro dispute broke out over the Casino Pfäffikon in 2024.

Insights into gaming operations

The report of a police inspection from 2019 revealed how things worked in the gaming facilities with Antepay cards:

• Access was only possible via hidden entrances, monitored by cameras.
• Players exchanged cash for Antepay credit, which they then used on site to place bets on gambling sites.
• The police observed a lot of activity - and recorded clear interactions with illegal online casinos.
  
  

One verdict, many unanswered questions: Antepay was included in the subsequent proceedings. However, those responsible claimed that their service had been misused for the gambling purposes in question. But this theory quickly crumbled.

Incidentally, BR recently revealed suspected Berlin connections to illegal online casinos. We wondered how clear the evidence was?

An incredible sponsorship deal

And then there was FC Zurich, whose jerseys were emblazoned with the Antepay logo between 2019 and 2021. The club later admitted that it had relied on external consultants when selecting sponsors.

FCZ President Ancillo Canepa expressed his disappointment: "Something like that would never happen to us again today."

From Antepay to Gecko Card - the game goes on

After Antepay's failure, a successor quickly emerged: the Gecko Card. With a new name, but a similar concept and even partly identical infrastructure. A suspicious continuity:

• Gecko Card website content was a 1:1 copy of Antepay, including false sponsorship claims.
• Players reported that the Gecko Card, just like its predecessor, was primarily used for illegal gambling.

Incidentally, the Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL) achieved an outstanding success in payment blocking against an unnamed Swiss payment service provider this fall.

Deceptively reputable: Swiss player protection in the legal notice

Particularly brazen: The illegal gambling sites, which presumably belong to Antepay, referred to a Swiss player protection agency in their imprints - a genuine advice address that had absolutely nothing to do with the matter.

Players who had problems with withdrawals or depositors ended up seeking help there. A perfidious trick designed to increase the credibility of the sites and at the same time make it more difficult to prosecute the masterminds.

The elusive boss

An informant brought light into the darkness: a man from the canton of Zurich was behind the network. He was considered to be the head of the organization, but was difficult to locate.

Despite a Swiss residence and company registrations, he repeatedly eluded journalists. Clues led to a restaurant in Zurich where he allegedly spent time regularly - but there was only silence.

The head of the Hagen arcade clan could only be arrested after a long manhunt.

Deal with a greengrocer probably provided the decisive impetus

Like the entire case, the path that probably led to the network being cracked looks like something out of a gangster movie: a small supermarket in Zurich's Langstrasse district became the key location. The boss used the store to transfer illegal funds into seemingly legal transactions.

A fictitious loan agreement was used to launder 1.6 million francs. However, the authorities seized the cash at Zurich Airport. The greengrocer was unable to explain his story plausibly. This mistake probably made a decisive contribution to the investigation.

Source of the image: Screenshot from https://reflekt.ch/recherchen/antepay/

Central text source: https://reflekt.ch/recherchen/antepay/