Muslim festival as cover for illegal poker game

Crooks are usually resourceful and often quite brazen when it comes to covering up their schemes. This also seems to be the case in the case of an apparently illegal poker round in Werdohl (Sauerland) in North Rhine-Westphalia. The main defendant claimed in court that he had been celebrating the Muslim festival of Eid. None of the participants claimed to have gambled or to have seen anyone gambling. However, the police report and the evidence paint a completely different picture.

In Werdohl, North Rhine-Westphalia, there used to be illegal gambling under a particularly creative alibi. Normally, unauthorized slot machines are often simply set up in the basement or casino operations are hidden in back rooms. In this case, however, the suspects had a rather creative excuse at the ready and chose the local Vier Jahreszeiten restaurant as the venue. They had only come together to celebrate the Muslim Eid! Sounds like a harmless affair at first - if it weren't for the professional gaming tables and other incriminating evidence that was seized on site.

What may seem strange at first is actually not uncommon. Almost every week, you can read in the press about illegal gambling activities being uncovered somewhere. GambleJoe also regularly receives such reports:

• The raid on an illegal casino in Kamen (NRW) last summer, the discovery of illegal poker gatherings in Munich last fall or the arrest of a million-dollar gambling gang in Paderborn shortly before Christmas are just a few of the numerous examples. Not to mention more far-reaching scandals such as the years of fraud committed by the Hagen gambling hall family or the seemingly never-ending investigations into the Austrian slot machine gang "Kajot", which somehow cannot be caught.
• Time and again, it is striking how brazenly the criminals proceed in order to increase their profits and evade prosecution. In the Antepay case in Switzerland, those responsible for a prepaid service that was allegedly operated in conjunction with illegal gambling venues even managed to negotiate a sponsorship deal with one of the country's biggest soccer clubs under a legitimate cover. The callous fake profiles of renowned casinos on social networks, which German online casinos recently warned about, are also a good example of this.

The suspects in Werdohl were similarly cheeky. They had only come together to celebrate. The professional gaming tables were provided for eating and drinking. No one had seen anyone gambling. Professional gaming chips, decks of cards and thousands of euros in hidden cash speak against this. Get the full story here.

Raid on former bowling alley

What was once the venue for "Alle Neune" turned into the stage for a police operation with a certain bluff factor in April 2023. We're talking about the former bowling alley in the Vier Jahreszeiten restaurant in Werdohl. There was probably a bit more going on here than just a Eid party: professional poker equipment, cash concealment and, let's say, a somewhat conspicuous parking situation at the very beginning would suggest this.

How it all began:

On April 24, 2023, a police patrol noticed the large number of parked cars in front of the restaurant. "It seemed strange to us," a witness later explained to the Altena district court. It became even more suspicious because the officers had already been on site twice before - always on suspicion of illegal gambling. A hastily obtained search warrant finally led to a raid by several investigators, who arrived in four vehicles.

What the officers found:

The police found a "colorful picture" on the premises, as reported in the regional press:

• There were piles of gambling chips on the tables - it looked as if the place had just been eagerly gambled.
• The equipment was not exactly improvised: Professional poker tables and even a slot machine were on hand.
• Cash? No sign - at least at first glance.

But then things got really exciting:

• A glance into the lamp put the investigators on the right track.
• They found another 8,500 euros behind a wall panel - carefully hidden, but not carefully enough.

The charge of illegal gambling has been pending ever since and is backed up by the statements of the officers involved. One thing seems certain: this was probably about much more than social gatherings with a game of cards and chips to nibble on.

"Nobody gambled - honestly!": Defendant and witnesses under pressure

In the Altena district court, everything now revolves around a 48-year-old main defendant who is accused of organizing a poker round with around 20 guests. The judges accuse him of illegal gambling. However, the defendant stuck to his original statement in court, which the police had already recorded at the time: he had merely celebrated the Muslim Eid. "The tables were only there for eating and drinking," his defense lawyer said. Would that convince the judge?

The "innocent" witnesses:

Twelve of the 20 invited guests appeared in court - an illustrious group, mostly from Werdohl, Neuenrade and Letmathe, wrote the local press. Only one came from further afield: according to the reports, the man from Bochum did not miss the opportunity to apply for reimbursement of his travel expenses. The other eight guests either ignored the summons or simply canceled their attendance.

The statements of the witnesses who appeared were anything but convincing:

• "We celebrated briefly - then the police came."
• "I didn't see anyone gambling."
• "I wasn't interested in the gambling."
• "I didn't have any money with me!"

But the police photos, which were taken around 30 minutes after the bet, tell a different story. They document a conspicuously well-equipped poker session with professional gaming tables and chips.

Judge remains skeptical:

Particularly striking: some of the witnesses tried to convince the prosecution with very vague statements, but these tended to corroborate rather than weaken the suspicions. Only one of them refused to comment with a clear "no". Public prosecutor Beatriz Föhring put it in a nutshell: she simply considered the witnesses' statements to be "not credible". In fact, the defendants risk further criminal proceedings for making false statements.

Language barriers and new trial:

Some witnesses, whose names indicated south-eastern European origin, also claimed that they may not have understood the legal subtleties correctly. One of the witnesses requested an interpreter on his own initiative. The judge then decided to suspend the hearing for the time being and to call in interpreters for the next hearing. The result: "New date ex officio."

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