A betting company employee was sentenced to six years in jail and fined €15,000 after he admitted defrauding his employer €153,000 through commissions from artificially generated traffic on the company’s online gaming websites.

The court also ruled that the BMW registered under the man's name be handed over to the police force to be used by its Anti-Money Laundering Unit.

Dutchman Christiaan Alexander Van Dalen, 42, used to work as a field manager for Betsson Service Group. He used to receive commission varying between 25 and 50 per cent from the customers’ bets. The employee artificially inflated the number of customers by using the details of account holders to generate fictitious new accounts.

Van Dalen had hidden his fraudulent gains by transferring the money to a local bank account in his Filipino wife's name.

"The crime of money laundering is one of the most difficult and delicate crimes to be investigated," the court, presided by Magistrate Joe Mifsud.

The court ordered the confiscation of all monies and property, both movable and immovable, belonging to the accused.

Mr Van Dalen was also ordered to pay damages to his former employer Betsson Services Ltd as well as to foot the bill for court expert expenses totaling €3,318.67.

Inspector Raymond Aquilina prosecuted.