The German authorities continue their hard work against illegal gambling as the country’s police raided illegal venues.
Germany Cracks Down on Illegal Gambling
As the German gambling regulator seeks to inhibit gambling-related crime, the police helped by locals continue to raid properties believed to house illegal gambling machines and be places where tax crimes occur.
According to reports, a total of 300 police officers participated in the operation. Law officials issued 30 search warrants for the officers to ensure they are authorized to run the operation.
Directed by the Freiburg police, law enforcement officials from Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia assisted in the crackdown on fraudulent gambling venues. Tax investigators also joined the raiding parties, helping them determine whether tax fraud is taking place.
In the aftermath of the operation, the officers said that they successfully collected evidence of fraudulent practices. The evidence mostly consists of manipulated slots and amusement machines. The German police will continue its investigation on the matter to determine who the masterminds behind the unauthorized gambling machines are and take appropriate legal action against them.
Gambling Crime Continues to Be a Problem
Gambling crime is one of the biggest challenges the regulated betting industry faces. Regardless of how reliable a jurisdiction’s regulator is, there will always be people and organizations who try to go around the rules for their own personal benefit.
Illegal operators and gambling venues are some of the most concerning instances of gambling-related crimes as they damage the regulated markets. Such companies do not play by the rules and therefore avoid paying taxes. Additionally, they do not abide by the market’s regulations and prey on bettors who are not content with their country’s gambling laws such as deposit limits, time limits, etc.
Illegal operators often facilitate money laundering and thus benefit organized crime. Some markets have had great difficulties in dealing with gambling crime, with the police having to constantly stay vigilant. In early March, the Traffic Department of Macau’s Public Security Police found out that one of its own sergeants was assisting the crime rings by leaking information to the criminals. Spain, on the other hand, managed to take down one of its criminal organizations a month ago after a raid similar to the one in Germany.
Police operations against gambling fraud may sometimes have fatal outcomes. In February this year, two men in Hong Kong preferred risking their lives to getting apprehended by the police and eventually perished.