Two 2023 police raids at Mt Lawley and Cloverdale gambling dens helped authorities seize almost $190,000 in cash, along with gambling cards and chips usually found at Monte Carlo casinos.

The two underground locations used for illegal gambling were allegedly run by a number of Crown Casino workers. 

The casino chips and blocks of cash will be destroyed as police efforts continue toward targeting more underground venues. 

$130,000 Seized from Mount Lawley

Last April, police raided a Mount Lawley business where it seized close to $130,000 from an alleged illegal game, along with tens of thousands of dollars worth of casino chips, a baccarat table cover, and gaming cards.

An ex-Crown Perth employee is believed to have allegedly recruited three additional dealers from the same casino and instructed them to run games that would allegedly target members of organized crime or problem gamblers.

All three dealers had their licenses canceled.

$60,000 Seized from Cloverdale Home Raid

At the end of 2023, during a raid on a Cloverdale home, police allegedly discovered 16 players who had been previously banned from the casino plus $60,000. 

The respective home was suspected of allegedly operating a game without a permit or license. 

A 35-year-old man pleaded guilty to money and property laundering.

While gambling activities in charities and clubs are permitted in Western Australia via a permit, police allege the respective operations did not have one.

“Eventually They’ll Pop Back Up”

According to Gaming and Regulation executive director Jennifer Shelton in an interview for 9News, these Australian criminal organizations that are targeting vulnerable individuals “who are then using it for other criminal gains” are currently laying low. 

However, Shelton is confident that “eventually they’ll pop back up either in the same location or same premises.” 

The director added that organizers were interested in targeting Crown Casino employees and recruiting both problem gamblers who are patrons at the facility, as well as dealers.

The vulnerable players are either self-excluded players or individuals who are no strangers to the world of organized crime or who have accumulated “unexplained wealth.”

At the start of the year, Crown Resorts revealed that illegal online gambling websites had been using their intellectual property to deceive consumers.

Police and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia issued a statement regarding the events, saying the tighter supervision, casino monitoring, and organized crime prevention in casinos will get, the more likely we are to see people “try and get around it.”

Gambling is considered a serious public health risk in the context of hundreds of millions being lost to the activity each month. 

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Despite the efforts of law enforcement, illegal gambling activities are common across China. Last month alone, law enforcement in Hong Kong busted multiple brothels and gambling dens in operations that resulted in the arrest of more than 300 people allegedly involved in those activities. The combined efforts of Hong Kong police authorities against triad operations in November saw more than 2,000 officers participate.

Now, the crackdown against illegal gambling and associated crimes continues. As announced by the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong police operations between November 2 and December 2 resulted in the arrest of 130 people, suspected of participating in money laundering and illegal gambling. The report cited police data released Sunday, estimating that the people involved in the illicit activity were able to launder some HK$15 million ($1.92 million).

Between Friday and Sunday, law enforcement arrested five men and three women believed to be involved in a money laundering operation. Among the detainees were transport workers, bar owners, businessmen and beauty salon managers. Out of the eight people arrested, four were believed to be triad gang members. One of the detained individuals was believed to be the ringleader of the money laundering operation.

Citing an investigation, the Hong Kong police said that the alleged leader of the money laundering syndicate used bank accounts belonging to different businesses to transfer large sums of money. The individual is believed to be involved in different companies, but investigators found no legal businesses belonging to the suspect.

Allegedly, the leader of the money laundering operation was able to conduct more than 600 money transactions. The illicit activity has reportedly been ongoing for 10 years, starting from 2013, according to a senior inspector from the New Territories North anti-triad unit.

Law Enforcement Shuts Down Illegal Gas Station, Gambling Dens

Police detained more than 120 more people, allegedly tied to five illegal gambling dens as well as an illegal gas station. One of the illegal venues offered baccarat, while two offered gambling machines with fishing games. Two other illegal venues offered mahjong games.

Raids were conducted in Sheung Shui and Ta Kwu Ling, during which law enforcement detained 122 individuals. The detainees were between the ages of 20 and 75, consisting of 66 women and 64 men. During the raids, police seized various items, including bank cards, cash and documents. Proceeds that were allegedly accumulated from the illegal activities estimated at HK$2.5 million ($320,000) were also seized. While some of the alleged culprits were released on bail, others already face charges. The Hong Kong police did not rule out additional arrests.

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Bundesministerium Finanzen, the financial police in Austria, released Tuesday data regarding operations against undeclared work, illegal businesses and tax evasion. The cumulative efforts of the police along with other related agencies resulted in a total of €6.5 million ($7 million) in fines and 2,185 criminal cases.

Within the gambling sector, for the first quarter, the financial police imposed €492,000 ($526,300) in fines. This was part of its efforts against illegal gambling. Overall, 46 companies were subject to searches and investigations for the first quarter of this year. This resulted in 27 criminal complaints against individuals involved in illicit gambling activities.

A record for the most criminal complaints related to illegal gambling was reported in Vienna, where 20 such complaints were recorded. The fines related to the illicit gambling activities in Vienna represented the lion’s share of the total, or some €300,000 ($320,800).

Magnus Brunner, the country’s Finance Minister, spoke about the recent figures and explained that illegal activities and evading taxes are harmful to legal businesses. He outlined that unlicensed or illegal businesses benefit from “unfair competitive conditions” which ultimately impacts “honest entrepreneurs” and companies. Finally, Brunner said: “Therefore, as part of our anti-fraud strategy, the financial police make a significant contribution to protecting our business location.”

Most Fines Relate to Salzburg and Vienna

A breakdown of the total fines against illegal activities, including gambling, per region, reveals that the highest number of fines, or €2.3 million ($2.5 million) relate to Salzburg. Next in line is Vienna with €1.4 million ($1.5 million) in fines, followed by Lower Austria with €1 million ($1.1 million) in fines.

Not unexpectedly, the highest number of criminal complaints were related to Vienna, a total of 567, followed by Lower Austria with 424 and Upper Austria with 352.

More than 13,200 employees within 7,200 companies were subject to the probe by the financial police for the first quarter of the year. Most of the businesses inspected were a part of the construction sector, a total of 1,792. Next in line was the hospitality industry with 1,062 inspected businesses followed by the transport sector with 973 inspections.

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