Money laundering through property and crypto from illegal gambling: new angle in the Mar del Plata poker case

Argentine prosecutors have widened the case against Guillermo Pinarello, who was previously accused of running an illegal online gambling network in Mar del Plata. The new phase matters for high-risk payments because it links alleged betting proceeds to real estate, virtual wallets, and vehicle purchases — exactly the sort of trail PSPs, acquirers, and banks get asked to explain when a file turns messy.

1. On Wednesday, a new round of questioning begins for 16 defendants at the request of federal judge Santiago Inchausti, now over money laundering charges in an expanded indictment. Guillermo Pinarello, his father Elías, and his sister Natalia have been summoned to appear between 26 and 28 of this month, according to case documents cited by Infobae.
2. Pinarello was earlier processed by Inchausti as the alleged head of “an illicit association” dedicated to the “administration and/or operation and/or capture of online gambling without the proper authorization.” The judge said the scheme included online casinos and profits “pitufeadas” — split into small amounts — through financial mules, with Casino 365 Online named as one of the fronts.
3. The new laundering allegations focus on two lots in Barrio Developer Aqua, bought through a sale agreement tied to the Developer Lagoon trust, signed on 25 October 2023. The reported final amount was $320,000. Pinarello’s father is also said to have acquired Panaggio Cars, an operating auto shop allegedly used as a cover for lawful activity and reportedly handed over by Joaquín Otero Cao.
4. Another defendant, Jonatan David Scott, is accused of working with Pinarello to receive and circulate illicit proceeds through virtual wallets, while also buying at least five cars, several of them high-end models. That is the part that will interest payment teams: the file is not just about gambling revenue, but about how it moves once it leaves the betting platform.
5. Earlier this year, PFA’s DUOF Mar del Plata carried out searches in the coastal city and found safe-deposit boxes linked to Pinarello’s sister and Otero Cao’s mother. Officers reportedly seized more than $430,000 and two BMWs, including a 440i with a used-market value of a little over $60,000.

Pinarello had already been under house arrest when he gave a Zoom interview to Infobae, after being detained in the Triple Frontera. His case now shows the usual high-risk pattern: online gambling allegations first, then the follow-the-money phase through property, cars, and wallets.