The Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica (ASAE) has dismantled four illegal casinos in recent months, arresting 25 individuals connected to these crimes in the northern region of the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, August 26, ASAE inspectors disclosed that Operation Shadow Bet, as the initiative was named, focused particularly on investigating offenses related to games of chance.
The actions, aimed primarily at identifying instances of unauthorized gambling activities, were mainly carried out in the municipalities of Porto, Vila Real, and Braga.
ASAE further revealed in the same statement that the four dismantled casinos “operated covertly within food and beverage establishments, where gambling activities were routinely conducted in restricted-access areas.”
At these locations, games such as poker, Mahjong, slot machines, Russian roulette, and online betting were conducted involving significant amounts of money.
During Operation Shadow Bet, 31 criminal proceedings were initiated for crimes related to conducting games of chance outside legally authorized venues and illegal gambling practices. Various equipment was seized, including 36 gaming machines, nine professional gaming tables, five electronic devices, 2,900 gaming chips, and numerous documents “indicative and probative of the organized operation of the offenses under investigation.”
The 25 detained individuals were subjected to Identity and Residence Terms after being presented to the competent judicial authority for a preliminary judicial hearing. ASAE reports that an additional nine individuals were identified.
The operations were conducted with the technical/peripheral collaboration and support of the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) from Turismo de Portugal.
