LKA complains about lack of resources against illegal gambling in NRW

The fight against illegal gambling activities is a rather costly affair. The final report by the State Office of Criminal Investigation in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is available to the Rheinische Post, reveals that the authorities lack "equipment and technical expertise" in this matter. According to the report, unauthorised gaming machines cost the state millions every year. The record for a single illegally installed machine is a turnover of 423,000 euros per year. Well-organised clans are often the string-pullers.

The fight against illegal gambling activities poses considerable challenges for the criminal authorities. This is clear from the latest final report by the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in North Rhine-Westphalia, which has been made available to the Rheinische Post. This is not only due to the sophisticated technology used by the operators, but also to the (inter)national interconnectedness of the networks. In its report, the LKA complains about serious deficits in the equipment and technical expertise of the authorities. Modern surveillance technologies and specialised investigators are essential in order to be able to take action against professionally organised structures. However, there is a lack of both, which considerably restricts the efficiency of the countermeasures. It is only rarely possible to uncover far-reaching schemes, as in the case of the dismantling of an unauthorised casino operation in Kamen in mid-June 2024.

The high level of professionalism of the perpetrators makes it difficult for investigators to secure evidence and bring those responsible to justice. The illegal activities are often well disguised and the flow of money concealed, which further complicates investigations. In addition, illegal gambling is not only a financial problem, but also has social and security consequences. The money generated by illegal gambling activities often flows into other criminal areas, such as drug trafficking or human trafficking, and thus promotes further crime.

According to the Rheinische Post, the Ruhr region in particular is a centre of gambling crime in NRW. Clans and other organisations make millions and the authorities are unable to tackle this due to a lack of resources. The deficits range from a lack of personnel, inadequate equipment and training weaknesses to logistical difficulties.

This is what the emergency services are specifically lacking

The biggest problem appears to be the lack of personnel. According to the LKA, the police do not have enough officers on guard duty. The criminal investigation department is also understaffed. There is also a problem with the equipment. According to the Rheinische Post, there are not enough "money counting machines, vending machine reading devices and storage facilities for seized vending machines".

In addition to these personnel and technical difficulties, there is also room for improvement in terms of expertise. For example, police officers are not sufficiently trained in recognising illegal gaming machines in their daily work. Manipulated devices are quickly overlooked. A specialised department could provide a remedy, but this does not exist. The same applies to holistic, truly effective combating concepts.

In order to convey the basic facts and support the corresponding investigative measures, the police work with leaflets. In principle, officers have the opportunity to receive further training in this area. However, it appears that these offers are not being taken up sufficiently. There is no more specific information here. Ultimately, the proper handling of seized machines is also a logistical challenge.

In contrast, the organisers of illegal games of chance are flexible and earn thousands of euros a month with just one machine

According to the LKA, the cases involving manipulated and illegal gaming machines are not individual offences. Structured and organised groups are behind them. In fact, the provision of the machines is said to take place on a large scale. There is talk of "large-scale operators" and "networks of straw men". These would not appear to the authorities and are therefore practically invisible.

The suspected perpetrators are often members of nationally active clans. According to the Rheinische Post, the report also shows that "different regional groups are involved, which divide the market among themselves", including rocker organisations. These criminals would be presented with extremely attractive and, above all, lucrative sales opportunities. Several thousand euros could be earned per month from just one machine.

It is not only the tax losses that are an important issue for the authorities, which are said to be in the millions, but also player protection. In connection with the LKA's report, an experiment was presented by the Gambling Addiction Association. The experiment showed that it takes an average of just four hours to lose 3,000 euros on an illegal slot machine. In contrast, it would take over 50 hours to gamble the same amount on a legal machine.

Conclusion

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