German authorities seize illegal gambling machines in North Rhine-Westphalia raids

Authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia seized illegal gambling machines at premises in Harsewinkel and Soest, according to a police press release. The controls took place on 16 October in Harsewinkel and on 9 October in Soest.

The Harsewinkel checks covered pubs and cafés and involved officers from the Hauptzollamt Bielefeld, the Bielefeld tax investigation unit, the Harsewinkel municipal regulatory office and the Gütersloh district police authority. In a pub in the western part of the city, inspectors found three illegal gambling machines and cash that could not be assigned, the police said in the press release. In a café between Alter Markt and August-Claas Straße, they found four further illegal gaming machines and irregularities at an online betting terminal; cash was also seized there.

In Soest, a cross-authority operation examined several commercial businesses in the city area. Officers found illegal gambling machines, untaxed tobacco and uncustomed cigarettes, according to the Soest district police authority. The premises of a tea house on Grandweg were closed and sealed; in its back room, officers found what the report describes as a suspected illegal gambling venue holding four money gaming machines, one of which was in play at the time of the check.

The source gives no statement from the owners of the premises, no information on charges or penalties, and no appeal status.