Fake casino dismantled

The Directorate for Combating Organized Crime dismantled a criminal organization whose members were active in organizing and conducting illegal gambling through unlicensed online platforms, as well as defrauding players and laundering proceeds from criminal activities.

To put an end to their action, a coordinated operation by the Economic Crimes Prosecution Sub-Directorate was carried out yesterday, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in various areas of Attica, Thessaloniki, Patras and Agrinio.

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The operation was assisted by the Digital Forensic Investigation and Analysis Sub-Directorate of the Forensic Investigations Directorate, the Operational Groups of the Information and Special Actions Sub-Directorate of the Hellenic Anti-Corruption Authority, the Economic Crimes Prosecution Department and the Information and Special Actions Department of the Organized Crime Countermeasures Sub-Directorate of Northern Greece, the Patras Crime Prosecution and Investigation Sub-Directorate, the Agrinio Crime Prosecution and Investigation Sub-Directorate, as well as the Fire Department.

In the case, -36- members of the criminal organization were arrested, including the -12- leaders, as well as -2- other individuals, for their participation as players in games of chance.

Against them, as well as against an additional -100- individuals - members of the criminal organization, a case was filed for -as appropriate- criminal organization, fraud, money laundering, violation of laws on gambling, personal data, weapons, flares and fireworks, as well as for circulation of counterfeit currency.

Appropriate use of information was made, while the subsequent police investigation and the systematic investigation by police officers of the Economic Crimes Prosecution Sub-Directorate certified the criminal activity of the accused.

Specifically, the criminal organization had been operating since at least 2018, with its members having distinct roles, with collaborations and actions that resembled a "federation", due to their common purpose, which was the illegal acquisition of financial benefit.

Regarding the mode of action, the members of the organization:

• they installed illegal software on computers and gaming machines,
• used remote access to control machines remotely,
• interfered with system settings without leaving digital traces,
• imported into the country uncertified gaming machines that resembled those found in legal casinos,
• established an illegal terrestrial gambling network, bypassing the institutional framework, while
  They installed camera systems inside and outside stores, recording citizens without their consent.

More specifically, the senior executives - platform managers, were responsible for managing at least -12- unlicensed online platforms, the import and installation of uncertified VLT (Video Lottery Terminal) gaming machines, controlling the access of collaborating stores to the systems and receiving commissions depending on the access level of each partner.

To this end, they had developed a network of collaborators, consisting of technicians, tax collectors and individuals who undertook the promotion of illegal gambling, divided into individual groups, which operated either autonomously or in hierarchical cooperation with each other.

The technicians, in turn, were responsible for installing illegal software on computers and gaming machines, configuring systems through special programs and portable storage media, and using remote access applications for full control of the machines.

The "invisible" operators of the stores were responsible for operating them, appointing "front" owners to avoid detection, hiring game managers, and attracting players through partners.

Finally, the game operators managed the operation of the machines, player payments and the implementation of interventions in the game results.

In addition to the above, it emerged that the members of the criminal organization were also systematically defrauding players, through:

• interference in the results, by adjusting the gaming machines to yield return rates of even 7% instead of the legal minimum of 80% and by resetting data, so as to artificially reduce the chances of winning,
• virtual winnings – false jackpots, which created controlled winning incidents to attract new players and maintain the illusion of credibility,
• of manipulation by staff, who participated in the games knowing when a profit would be awarded and
• of reinforcing addiction, with misleading bonuses, free spins and virtual benefits, in order to extend the time of participation without any substantial profit.

From the financial investigation, it emerged that the leading members were also laundering income, investing their illegal profits in real estate purchases, companies with legal activity, as well as in virtual currencies, while at the same time purchasing winning lottery tickets in order to give a legitimate origin to sums of money.

The operation was substantially assisted by the Digital Forensic Investigation and Analysis Sub-Directorate of the Forensic Investigations Directorate, with teams of specialized police officers from Attica and the corresponding laboratory in Thessaloniki, providing the necessary expertise to identify illegal games, their online organization and management, as well as the means of communication between the members of the criminal organization. In addition, it contributed to the identification of cryptocurrencies and other financial data, which were utilized for the further investigation and dismantling of the criminal organization in question.

In total, from the searches of homes, involved stores, agencies, bank vaults, storage areas, as well as vehicles, the following were found and seized, among other things:

-271.850- euros,
-905- US dollars
-60- British pounds
-2- jewelry
-4- cars and -3- motorcycles,
-250- computers (central processing unit, monitor, keyboard, mouse),
-78- external hard drives and -77- portable data storage media (USB),
-5- recorders and -13- wireless closed-circuit cameras,
-12- laptops and -3- tablets,
-53- mobile phones,
-6- debit cards,
-5- firearms and -1- replica pistol,
-2- knives,
-5- magazines and -176- cartridges,
-6- firecrackers,
-135- obviously counterfeit banknotes, as well as
numerous notebooks and handwritten notes.

It is noted that the illegal financial benefit of the organization is estimated to amount to over 16 million euros.

The arrested were taken to the competent Prosecutor's Office.

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