The joint operation uncovered and shut down six underground gambling facilities, as reported by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
As it turned out, a network of illegal gambling establishments operated in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia without registering a legal entity, obtaining licences and paying taxes.
In Kharkiv, in the Osnovianskyi district, one of the establishments was running poker games.
‘The price of chips corresponds to the value of real money. Players can enter and leave the table at any time, and there is no fixed time for the game duration. During the game, the administration of the establishment deducts a commission from the players in favour of the gambling establishment in order to make a profit from the said gambling game,’ the prosecutor’s office said.
In Zaporizhzhia, five other slot machine establishments operated in a covert mode. They were located in non-residential premises, without external signs or advertising. Customers had to make an appointment with the administrator in advance.
During the searches in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, law enforcement officers seized eight poker tables, playing cards, chips of various denominations, slot machines, mobile phones, computer equipment and cash.
The law enforcement is now establishing a full list of persons involved in the organisation of this illegal activity.
