Millionaire in Vorarlberg: Raid on gaming winners exposed!

Millionaire in Vorarlberg: Raid on gaming winners exposed!

A tribunal recently condemned a Turkish -born defendant in Vorarlberg and a fleeing complicity for attempted severe blackmail, robbery and assault. The case revolves around the attack by an online gambling winner who had achieved an unexpected profit of 13 million euros at Christmas 2023. The perpetrators tried to need the victim to pay 500,000 euros for "protection". The victim declined and was brutally attacked in an underground car park in Dornbirn in March 2024. Two hooded men, equipped with storm hoods and an electric shocker, demanded 700,000 euros and threatened the man with murder if he should notify the police. He suffered minor injuries and had to hand in his cell phone. By evaluating his cell phone, the victim was able to identify the attackers, including a 54-year-old with whom he had made music with. The accomplice remains fleeting and international arrest warrant was issued against him. The accused was sentenced to three years in prison; However, the verdict is not final because he asked for a thinking period. These events underline the growing problem with illegal gambling, which increases in Germany and beyond, such as [automatenmarkt.de] (https://www.automatenmarkt.de/nachrichten/artikel/polizei--kriminalstatistik-legales-glueck-lspiel-aufs-aufs-liel-aufs-lepsen.

illegal gambling in focus

The problem of illegal gambling gains in explosiveness, not only in Vorarlberg, but also nationwide. According to the Criminal Code (Section 285 of the Criminal Code), gambling is illegal if it is carried out without an official approval. This includes classic game caves and many online casinos without German license. Participation in unauthorized gambling can be punished with fines or imprisonment for up to six months. In addition, illegal profits may have to be repaid, which significantly increases the financial risk for players. People who often take part in illegal games of chance run the risk of being included in the nationwide blocking file of the Oasis player locking system, which further restricts their ability to play legally. This information comes from Anwalt.de.

The police crime statistics (PKS) 2024 documents a worrying increase in the number of cases of unauthorized gambling, with 6,247 incidents registered. This represents an increase of 18.3 percent compared to the previous year. This development is particularly alarming, since the number of cases has risen by eight times since 2020 and has even increased by twelve. Georg Stecker, board spokesman for the German Automatism industry, warns that the closure of legal venues and the reduced range of regulated gambling did not lead to a decline in gambling. Rather, this meant that people were pushed into the illegal market, which not only endangers the financial security of those affected, but also favors the financing of criminal structures. Solution approaches are demanding rights, legal games, such as [automatenmarkt.de] (https://www.automatenmarkt.de/nachrichten/artikel/policliche-kriminalstatistik-ilegales-glueck-lspiel-liel- on-record level).