Austrian Police Seize 121 Gambling Machines

Austrian law enforcement officials struck out at a variety of gambling establishments throughout the country, seizing 121 gambling machines from 39 different spots.

The operators tried to keep their clandestine casino operations as secretive as possible, with signs indicating closed properties or dangerous conditions on doors to prevent entry. Some locations even had elaborate locks, which required a locksmith to come in and grant access to police. This raid comes two months after a previous raid saw 17 locations hit, with machines also being seized.

Regarding the raids, Austria's Finance Minister Gernot Blumel said, "The regular operations of the financial police against illegal gambling make it increasingly unattractive for the operators to pursue their dirty business on the back of gambling addicts. This is a severe blow to organized crime in Upper Austria and the financial police will continue to crack down on it in the future!"

No information on any other assets seized or people arrested was available as of press time.