Zurich cantonal police discovered a suspected illegal poker tournament at a bar in Brüttisellen, Switzerland, according to a media report dated 29 September 2026. Five people were reported to police, and officers seized poker tables, chips and more than CHF2,000 in cash.
The police action signals enforcement against suspected unauthorised poker activity in Switzerland.
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Austria’s Financial Police and police attended a private flat in Vienna’s 15th district in early October after a poker player alleged he had been cheated at a game there. Financial Police provisionally seized the poker table, cards and chips and said they would begin confiscation proceedings and seek administrative penalty proceedings against the organiser, who faces a possible fine of up to €30,000.
Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency and Guardia di Finanza seized an association’s premises in Bagheria on 28 June during a Texas Hold’em tournament involving 38 players. Investigators said the organisers did not present the required event permits; the collected records will be sent to the Termini Imerese prosecutor’s office, which is continuing its inquiries. The association president’s defence disputes that the event constituted gambling, saying its prize was entry to a later competition in Malta.
Italian police carried out a court-ordered seizure in Brindisi on 28 October, targeting Tobia Parisi, whom authorities consider a senior figure in the Sacra Corona Unita. Police seized a bar described as a clandestine gambling hub, along with other properties, vehicles, bank accounts, savings and prepaid cards. Parisi’s 13-year sentence for attempted extortion is under appeal; investigators allege assets worth at least €600,000 were linked to him.
Italian police executed a court-ordered seizure on 28 October targeting Tobia Parisi, whom authorities consider a senior figure in the Sacra Corona Unita, in the Brindisi area. Police also took action against Parisi's partner and other relatives, according to the account of the operation. The seized assets include a bar described as an operational centre for a clandestine gambling network.
Italian police said they found an alleged unauthorised betting operation inside a stationery shop in Acireale, Sicily. Officers seized betting receipts and other materials, and reported the shop owner for operating and intermediating bets without the required police licence.
German police seized several gaming machines, cash and mobile phones during searches in Hildesheim on 29 September, the report said. The operation formed part of a wider investigation led by the Hildesheim public prosecutor’s office; 15 defendants are under investigation, but authorities have not specified how many face gambling allegations. The allegations have not been tested in court, and no charges or convictions were announced.