2025 – The illegal lotto case: an exceptional white-collar crime case

€11 million in takings, more than 180 associations involved, five people prosecuted, €1.6 million seized.

In June 2024, the authorities brought an end to what has been described as the largest illegal lotto operation ever dismantled in France.

Vouland Avocats is acting for one of the main defendants in this complex and unprecedented case, at the crossroads of white-collar criminal law, the law of associations and economic law.

A family business turned national network

According to the investigation, a family structure based in the south of France allegedly set up, between 2021 and 2023, an online lotto system targeting associations throughout the country.

Behind an apparently charitable activity, the authorities suspect an unlawful commercial scheme that generated more than €11 million in revenue.

The investigation uncovered a structured operation: production studios, sales teams, digital platforms and shell companies.

The associations, often approached in complete good faith, allegedly found themselves unwittingly at the heart of a scheme now characterised as an illegal lottery.

Large-scale seizures and extensive media coverage

The searches carried out in Nîmes, Istres and Pertuis led to the seizure of €1.6 million, ten vehicles and all the production equipment used to run the online broadcasts.
These spectacular seizures were the culmination of a months-long investigation led by the Marseille interregional directorate of the criminal police.

In the press (in French):
BFMTV – Nîmes : 1,6 million d’euros saisis dans une opération contre les lotos illégaux
BFMTV Côte d’Azur – Les associations caritatives niçoises victimes d’une arnaque au loto
TF1 Info – Lotos illégaux : un couple de septuagénaires et leurs enfants interpellés dans le Gard
Le Figaro – Nîmes : la police a mis fin à la plus importante affaire de lotos illégaux en France

Criminal defence and new economic challenges

Beyond the figures, this case raises questions about the grey areas of criminal law as applied to the voluntary sector and the digital economy.
The notions of participation, intent and liability lie at the heart of the judicial debate.

Vouland Avocats is defending one of the executives under investigation, in a context where the line between economic irregularity and criminal fraud remains a fine one.

The challenge in these proceedings will be to analyse the good faith of those involved, the traceability of financial flows and the precise scope of individual responsibilities.

As in the Apollonia, rue d’Aubagne and Mahieddine cases, the firm’s defence relies on a proven methodology: examining the procedure in detail, challenging sweeping interpretations and placing each fact back in its true chronology.

Vouland Avocats – Criminal defence in Marseille and Paris

Based in Marseille with a presence in Paris, Vouland Avocats handles complex and high-profile criminal cases, both for the defence and for civil parties, particularly in white-collar criminal law, environmental criminal law and sensitive economic proceedings.

Our criminal lawyers defend executives, entrepreneurs, institutions and companies with the same high standards: precision, loyalty and strategy.