Illegal poker round in Austria

In Austria, a Corona Lockdown, which inspires the illegal gambling, has been in place again for some time. The restrictive measures have dropped many parts of social life in the Alpine state to a minimum and limit social s to a certain extent. This is intended to contain the fourth wave of pandemic. But not all people adhere to the political regulations and meet, among other things, illegal gambling activities.

Policy blasts illegal poker raff

As part of a large -scale raid in Hall, a place in Tyrol, the police discovered a provisionally decorated Casino in a private apartment. According to the official press release, the officials caught eleven people in the act that were in the middle of an illegal poker round. These had previously refused to open the front door.

Access with violence. As can be seen from the police report, the people in the private apartment would not have opened the door despite multiple requests. The emergency services would then have seen no other option than gained violent access to the apartment. The police received support from the fast intervention group, the service dog inspection and the financial police.

The organized poker meeting is a 27-year-old Austrian. In the course of the survey, this would have admitted that he was already in the past Similar illegal poker rounds organized have.

The Tyrolean police have now raised a complaint against him and the eleven people. They are accused of violating the applicable regulations of the Corona Lockdown. So applies in the current situation A strict starting restriction. In addition, the responsible financial police authority had submitted a criminal complaint against the 27-year-old because he had violated the State Gambling Act by organizing an unauthorized poker round.

Anonymous tip

The Tyrolean police are in a few days before the raid Anonymous tip opened made. According to this, gambling activities had regularly happened in the appropriate apartment. There are noticeable many people marched in and out. Since the hint was classified as trustworthy, the district police command Innsbruck Land has sent several police strips.

Politics is satisfied

In view of the success of the operations and the successful blow against the illegal gambling Some Austrian politicians were very satisfied. For example, finance minister Gernot Blümel praised the work of the responsible civil servants. In a statement, he congratulated all the forces used and thanked for the reliable and always professional work. The lived cooperation between BMF (Federal Ministry of Finance) and BMI (Federal Ministry of the Interior) made such success possible. The politician emphasized that the goal was to make Austria safer.

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer was also satisfied, who organized the success of the investigation as a blow against the privately Illegal gambling classified. In his opinion, the cross -departmental and consistent procedure is one important step in the fight against organized crime.

Cooperation between BMF and BMI. In Austria, BMF and BMI work hand in hand to combat organized crime in the country. Since illegal gambling activities fall within the area of responsibility of the merged resources, both ministries had their share in the success of the raid in Tyrol.

Corona & the illegal gambling

The latest violations of the Gambling Act in Austria are no surprise given the experience from the crisis year 2020. During the Lockdown phase at that time, which extended over several weeks and months, Grassed the illegal gambling throughout the country. In USA, too, the police had to dissolve not approved gambling meetings. Increase in the metropolitan areas and large cities such as Berlin, the incidents increased.

Through the Lockdown As a rule, the legal and licensed gaming offer is completely eliminated. Accordingly, the Canalization do not maintain are, which in turn plays the uncontrolled black market in the cards. The end of the game try to meet their hobby through privately organized gambling meetings, but violate applicable law.

Due to the flourishing black market, numerous industry associations and gambling experts criticized the approach of politics. Above all, Georg Stecker, spokesman for the Board of the Association “The American Automatism Economy”, repeatedly expressed his Concerns about the measures And appealed to politics. He was not tired of emphasizing that the closure of the state-based, legal gambling facilities entails fatal consequences for player and youth protection. Minors, conspicuous and addicted players could take part in illegal gaming activities without any protection. At that time, Stecker explained:

“Without the legal offer in state -licensed arcades and in the catering trade, the channeling mandate from the Gaming State Treaty is massively endangered. There is a risk of a highly problematic emigration of the guests into illegal offers without youth and player protection. ”– Georg Stecker, Board spokesman “the American automatic economy”, Official press release from the Association “The American Automatism Economy”