Financial police confiscate 67 illegal gambling machines in Salzburg

2023-11-04 08:35:06

Ten illegal gambling establishments uncovered in the city of Salzburg; Restaurants were disguised as wine bars, betting shops or beauty parlors

Vienna (OTS) – The Austrian financial police achieved a significant success in October in a concentrated operation against illegal gambling in the city of Salzburg. 67 illegal gaming machines were seized. As part of a focus campaign, ten business premises were checked over four days. They were disguised as “wine bars”, “betting shops” or “cosmetic studios”, some of which were locked and under video surveillance.

“This success story is an example of the important work that our financial police do to protect our citizens and the honest economy in Austria. We continue to ensure that illegal activities are strictly punished,” said Finance Minister Magnus Brunner.

The bars had to be forced open by the Cobra task force. As part of their official acts, the financial police officers confiscated 67 illegal gaming machines. A restaurant was closed on behalf of the responsible authority. The controls were also accompanied by the office of the Salzburg state government. Their control body discovered several violations of the Salzburg Betting Companies Act.

Criminal charges were filed against the operators. The expected penalties are an average of 10,000 euros per illegal gambling device. In a particularly serious case, the investigations by the 22 financial police officers and up to 25 police officers revealed suspicions of forgery and fraud. The criminal police are now investigating here.

Photos: