At the end of March, the police in Austria dismantled an illegal international luxury lottery operating from Vienna. Participants in the luxury lottery could win, among other things, expensive Rolex watches and expensive cars.
In recent months, the Vienna detective agency, together with the financial investigation department of the fraud squad, has been conducting intensive investigations into an international illegal luxury lottery that was said to be taking place online. The organization had sold thousands of tickets throughout Europe, mainly via Facebook, during the past period.
Players were convinced to buy tickets for the luxury lottery, where they had a chance to win expensive prizes, such as expensive cars and expensive Rolex watches. The tickets were purchased by transferring digital money to the 30-year-old main suspect behind the illegal lottery. Tickets were also purchased at the main location in Vienna.
After the extensive investigation, the authorities decided to raid the location in Vienna on March 26, located in the 21st district of the Austrian capital.
Large-scale sale of tickets
A month and a half after the raid on the illegal luxury lottery, the Austrian Ministry of Finance reported on the matter. It states that the perpetrators, from Serbia, only voluntarily handed over one Rolex watch during the raid. Using special customs service dogs, they discovered more expensive watches hidden in a laundry basket.
The organizers of the illegal lottery kept meticulous records, allowing the authorities to see that more than €100,000 worth of tickets had been sold. The perpetrators violated the Austrian Gambling Act with their illegal lottery, and they now risk criminal financial proceedings.
It also turned out that they were illegally residing in Austria, which could result in them being deported as a result of immigration laws. According to the Ministry of Finance, players who have purchased tickets for the luxury lottery have the option of taking civil action.
Markus Marterbauer, Minister of Finance, and State Secretary Barbara Eibinger-Mied reacted as follows to the dismantling of the illegal luxury lottery in Austria:
“Thanks to the excellent cooperation of our investigative authorities, we were able to put an end to this fraudulent system. This successful investigation proves once again how unscrupulous illegal gambling networks operate and how they siphon large sums of money away from the state.”
Markus Marterbauer, Minister of Finance, and State Secretary Barbara Eibinger-Mied
