Illegal casino operation in NRW busted

A few days ago, an illegal casino was uncovered in the Kamen region of North Rhine-Westphalia. Police officers intervened in the middle of the night following a tip-off and encountered a large number of gamblers. Apparently large sums were being wagered. Cash in the six-figure range was confiscated.

Offences in connection with illegal gambling are almost a daily occurrence for the police and public prosecutor's office. Time and again, criminals take advantage of the great popularity of slot machines or table games and the extremely tempting idea of a quick profit for many gamblers through corresponding offers.

At the end of May, we reported on illegal slot machines at a hairdresser's in Hamburg. Last late summer/autumn, there was another major crackdown on illegal gambling in Hamburg. And not so long ago, our neighbours in Austria also carried out a major raid on illegal gambling establishments. The case of the "gambling godfather of Vaterstetten", a butcher who allegedly ran a gambling den in his shop, is undoubtedly particularly curious.

In Bergkamen/Kamen in North Rhine-Westphalia, the authorities have now identified a building in which gambling was also taking place illegally. However, we are not talking about a small gambling operation in some back room, but a real casino with several tables for a double-digit number of participants and other professional equipment. A lot of cash and even a firearm were seized.

This is how the raid on the illegal casino in Kamen went down

According to the Unna district police authority, the raid took place on the night of Wednesday, 5 June, to Thursday, 6 June. The target of the raid was a former pub in Heeren-Werve. According to the department's press release, several officers from Unna worked together with officers from neighbouring police forces for the operation. They had "found out about the gambling activities taking place on official business".

When the officers entered the premises, they found around 20 participants at several gaming tables. A considerable number, considering that the check was carried out at around 01:30 in the morning. Some of the gamblers were said to have wagered considerable sums. According to the police, there were large sums of money on the tables.

The Unna police press office announced that cash in the six-figure range was confiscated. In addition, a search of the people present and their vehicles revealed further money, a professional counting machine and finally a sharp firearm. It was not disclosed whether the weapon belonged to one of the guests or to the persons responsible.

One of those responsible was from the region - the players came from all over Germany

In general, the police station kept a rather low profile in its statements. The reason for this is the ongoing investigation. Who organised the casino and whether a criminal organisation was behind it remains as much a mystery as the exact location where the illegal gambling took place.

At least it is known that the person responsible for the building is a 57-year-old man with German-Turkish citizenship. The man is said to be from Bergkamen. He is expected to be prosecuted for organising illegal gambling and was taken into custody that night. It remains unclear whether further arrests have been made.

All those present are suspects. They were involved in unauthorised gambling and must now answer for it. The gamblers are said to come from the district of Unna, but have also travelled from other parts of North Rhine-Westphalia and even from all over Germany.

Conclusion

Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/roulette-gambling-game-bank-1253624/