Antepay payment card case Ex-FCZ sponsors in Zurich court for illegal gambling
The men behind former FCZ sponsor Antepay are on trial in Zurich today, Tuesday. They made a profit of CHF 171 million with illegal gambling.
17.12.2024, 06:12
17.12.2024, 06:16
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- The men behind the former FCZ sponsor Antepay are on trial in Zurich today, Tuesday.
- They made a profit of 171 million francs with illegal gambling.
- Antepay was the main sponsor of FC Zurich.
- The logo of the payment card adorned the jerseys of FC Zurich between 2019 and 2021.
- FCZ President Ancillo Canepa admitted to the magazine "Reflekt", which made the case public, that the sponsor had only been audited externally.
Officially, the men of Turkish origin offered a prepaid card. However, this was used for the specially developed illegal gambling games. These were only sold in around 500 Turkish pubs and clubs in Switzerland.
Between 2019 and 2023, the income from gambling amounted to around 324 million francs. The players received a portion of this, but the five defendants from the Zurich agglomeration pocketed a full 171 million francs themselves. The public prosecutor's office is now demanding large sums back, as can be seen from the indictments. Two defendants are to pay the 171 million as a so-called compensation claim.
The company apparently made an impression: between 2019 and 2021, Antepay's name was prominently displayed on the jerseys of FC Zurich. FCZ president Ancillo Canepa admitted to the magazine "Reflekt", which made the case public, that the sponsor had only been audited externally. He described the deal as "very annoying".
Already a conviction
The trials are being shortened. This means that the defendants confess and accept sentences negotiated between the public prosecutor's office and the defense lawyers. Prison sentences of between two and four years are envisaged. If there are no surprises in court, the sentences will be handed down.
The Zurich District Court already sentenced one of the five accused, the IT specialist, to a partial prison sentence of three years in the summer. The other four are due to stand trial on Tuesday.
The costs of these proceedings are also high: around CHF 200,000 per defendant. The public prosecutor's office confiscated jewelry and cash from the accused. Both will be used to cover part of the costs and claims for compensation.