76 illegal gaming machines seized in Salzburg
After a thorough investigation of several locations that lasted more than a week, the financial police of the Fraud Prevention Office of Austria successfully confiscated 76 illegal gaming machines in the city of Salzburg. The local police and Salzburg’s Cobra Task Force assisted the financial police in this challenging investigation that led to the discovery of several illegal gaming venues that were camouflaged and difficult to identify. The confiscation of these illegal gaming machines marked another significant step taken in the right direction by Austria in the fight against illegal gambling and operators trying to sneak into the country.
76 illegal gaming machines seized in Salzburg.
©Alvaro Reyes/Unsplash
The complete regulation and supervising responsibility of the gambling market in Austria rests on the shoulders of the Ministry of Finance. A set of guidelines called the Law on Games of Chance (GSpG) are in place to fight illicit activities like money laundering, terrorism financing, fraud, and more. The GSpG also includes measures that help licensed gambling operators establish player safety norms in which the young and vulnerable audience is not targeted via any marketing campaigns, and existing players are also monitored to see if they are showing signs of harmful gambling or not. The Ministry of Finance is doing everything in its power to combat and bring under control all illicit activities that are constantly threatening the integrity of its gambling market. While illegal gambling activity is reportedly diminishing in rural areas, urban cities like Vienna and Linz paint a contrasting picture and have been a hotbed for illegal gambling activities.
Towards the end of 2020, the Ministry of Finance collected more than €13 million in fines from Vienna. Apart from these two cities, Salzburg has also been one of the jurisdictions that have fallen prey to illegal gambling activities over the past three years. Between May 2020 and May 2021, 107 illegal gaming machines were seized and destroyed by the Salzburg State Police Department. Towards the end of last year, after an anti-fraud operation, about 123 illegal slot machines were confiscated in northern Austria and Salzburg. Recently, another 76 such machines have been seized in the city and are likely to be destroyed after hefty fines are collected from the unlicensed operators who placed them in outlets that do not look like gaming salons. During the investigation, 15 financial police officials and 20 local police officers visited seven locations where these gaming machines were installed. The facade of all venues made them look like non-gaming entities like nail salons, tanning salons, and internet cafes.
All seven venues were quite secure and difficult to access for the investigators. Entrances had magnetic locks on them, and there were surveillance cameras aimed outside and inside these locations. While two venues were accessed with the help of a locksmith, five required the Cobra police unit’s coercive force to gain entry. At one of the venues that were investigated on the first day, nine illegal gaming machines were seized. However, at the same location, five days later, nine new devices were found. These quick replacements were also confiscated by the finance police officers. One of the investigated venues operated out of its basement via 15 illegal gaming machines that were eventually impounded. Now the Authority will decide on the fines that will be slapped on the illegal operators who provided these gaming machines and the individuals involved in this activity. The fines could be as low as €5,000 per gaming machine but could also rise to €30,000 per unit.
The Austrian Finance Minister, Magnus Brunner, explained how unlicensed gambling operators reel in high revenue via these gaming machines that exploit individuals who are addicted to gambling.
“This is a blow to organized crime. Illegal gambling operators make huge profits at the expense of gambling addicts. Resolute action by the financial police is of great importance here, and we will not show any tolerance towards criminals in the future either.”
The number of active gambling operators has dropped significantly
According to the Austrian Ministry of Finance, the nation’s fight against illegal gambling operators is intense but successful. Quite a few unlicensed operators have been dealt with by the Authority. Additionally, with the help of the financial police and the Anti-Fraud Office (ABB), 27,000 checks were conducted in various sectors of the market, including the gambling segment. There were about 689 gambling operators present in Austria at the end of 2020. However, over half of them were not in the market by 2022.
The number of active gambling operators in the Austrian market dropped to 309 last year. Half Over half of these operators are found in Vienna. While the number of checks and investigations remains constant, the number of confiscated illegal gaming machines has dropped considerably in two years. In 2020, a total of 1,636 illegal gaming machines were seized in the country. Two years after that, in 2022, that number dropped to 384. The numbers support the Authority’s claim of its success amidst an ongoing battle against illegal operators.
Fines worth €88,000 were imposed after a triple strike in Vienna
After disclosing how significantly the number of illegal gambling operators has dropped nationwide, the Austrian Ministry of Finance is not taking its foot off the gas. In January this year, the financial police investigated three locations in Vienna where illegal gambling activities were taking place. The capital of Austria has always been the hotspot for legal and illegal gambling.
Five illegal gaming machines and six poker tables were seized during this investigation that was conducted by the financial police with the Vienna State Criminal Police Office and the LPD Vienna Standby Unit. The first location was inside a rental apartment that had surveillance cameras all over the place. Four illegal gaming machines and a cash center with €4,000 were confiscated.
The second location was familiar to the officers as they had shut it down a year ago. However, illegal gambling activities restarted at the same location, and four poker tables with other accessories were seized. The third venue required meticulous preparation as it was well-guarded using access codes and bouncers. However, the investigators had laid their groundwork and successfully confiscated an illegal gaming machine and two poker tables.
