The Czech police, in cooperation with the Customs Administration, have charged 15 suspects in a large-scale illegal gambling case. According to the authorities, an organised crime group had been operating more than 200 illegal slot machines since 2022.
Criminals reportedly had additional machines stored in warehouses, ready for use. Detectives are investigating criminal proceeds worth millions and potential real estate investments in Croatia.
In an official press release, the police stated: “According to investigators, the group operated in an organised manner with clearly divided roles, a sophisticated management system and advanced methods of communication.
“The operation of the gambling machines was allegedly concealed through companies whose main purpose was to hide who was actually controlling the entire system. " Police officers searched for the operation mastermind for almost a year throughout Europe because he was not staying in the territory of the Czech Republic.”
In separate news from the country, a study from Palacký University Olomouc on Czech football broadcasts found that, on average, one local football match features 57 adverts and almost 12 minutes of betting promotion.
The authors analysed 32 matches from the top league, Chance Liga, and recorded a total of 1,824 ads, many of which appeared during live play.
The study included only advertisements and graphic elements in broadcasts, excluding shirt sponsorships, stadium advertising boards, competition naming rights or social media promotion.
Furthermore, the Ethics Committee of the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) handed down a series of sanctions this week in a betting-related match-fixing case. It imposed lengthy bans and financial penalties on players, the football club MFK Karvina and the mayor of Karvina.
Last month, the Czech Ministry of Finance warned about an increase in fraudulent websites impersonating licensed gambling operators through “brand spoofing”
