Major raid against illegal gambling in Hamburg

Illegal gambling continues to come to light, especially in Hamburg. For the authorities, such operations have become a habit, as the Hamburger Abendblatt recently reported. Recently, however, there was even a major raid in connection with such operations.

The large-scale raid against tipsters on suspicion of illegal gambling at the beginning of April this year was already a special case. Investigations into breaches of the law on sports betting, gaming machines and the like are rarely as far-reaching. However, crime in this area seems to be booming (if you can put it that way).

Hamburg, with its many international connections, has long been a stronghold for criminals specialising in gambling. Particularly during Corona, as reported by the local media, an enormous number of offences were uncovered during checks in pubs and other meeting places. In particular, manipulated machines were confiscated en masse. In the south of Hamburg alone, more than 200 gaming machines were confiscated. These were often set up in back rooms (as in the case of the gambling godfather from Vaterstetten) and kept running with all kinds of tricks (including specially developed software).

In mid-September, a major raid took place in the district of Wilhelmsburg. Police, customs and youth protection officers were deployed. A total of ten premises were searched and a number of illegal gaming machines were confiscated.

Ten shops in Wilhelmsburg searched and several illegal gaming machines found

In the latest raids, investigators targeted ten catering and retail businesses in Hamburg's Wilhelmsburg district. In one of the cafés searched, six illegal gaming machines were confiscated. The police seized two betting terminals and four gaming machines.

As the owner did not cooperate, the officers had to break open the machines to get at the technology or data and the proceeds. A considerable sum was found, the Hamburg media reported. The shop owner now faces an additional fine for obstructing the investigation.

The officers were also successful in another shop. It was a kiosk with two more machines illegally operating in the back. The technology and a four-figure sum of money were confiscated, according to the Hamburger Abendblatt.

Illegal bricks-and-mortar gambling remains a lucrative business for criminals

The law knows that illegal gaming machines are a lucrative business for the perpetrators. In Hamburg alone, insiders estimate that millions are lost in the back rooms of pubs, cafés, kiosks and other meeting places.

Gamblers who are caught using illegal services only face minor penalties, which is why the influx is still considerable. Officials speak of a "ridiculous level of punishment". In fact, not even the operators have much to fear - unless it can be proved that they have acted in a gang-like or commercial manner. Evidence is often hard to come by in such cases, and the wheels of justice grind slowly.

Achim Dorn of the Harburg CID explained in an article in the Hamburger Abendblatt exactly what tricks the system uses: "Fun game machines are often used. They are not gambling machines, but pure entertainment machines. You don't need a licence for them. Only the criminals turn them into machines where you can illegally play for money. This is often done by installing accounting software in the machines. As a rule, the operators develop their own systems which are used for accounting purposes. (Hamburger Abendblatt).

This is expensive, of course, but the potential to win millions of dollars is well worth it. Taxes are not paid here and it is questionable what the chances of winning are for the users. The conditions are hardly fair.

Conclusion

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