Investigations Into Illegal Gambling

More than 90 slot machines seized

As the daily newspaper Rheinische Post reported, Duisburg is now taking particularly targeted action against illegal gambling. This was probably the largest and most secret State evidence chamber set up, which as of November 2022 contains more than 90 confiscated slot machines. In the front row in the fight against the black sheep of the scene is Alexander Dierselhuis, the police chief of the city in North Rhine-Westphalia, who is also the operations manager of “EK Fun”.

The fight against illegal gambling in Duisburg has begun

The slot machines, which are kept in the secret warehouse, were mainly confiscated during searches of Sisha bars, tea rooms and arcades. Such nationwide controls in the clan environment are now not on the agenda, but are carried out weekly. However, you can no longer play on the slot machines because they are to be destroyed after the respective procedures have been completed. Alexander Dierselhuis has made it his mission to remove the breeding ground for illegal gambling.

"They are in a building whose location is kept strictly secret. The machines must be kept as evidence until the respective proceedings are completed. Afterwards they will be destroyed." - Alexander Dierselhuis, operations manager, "EK Fun", Statement to the Rheinische Post

Gambling addiction should be combated

By removing the illegally installed slot machines from circulation, the criminals will also be deprived of a source of income. The aim is also to combat the risk of gambling addiction. It has long been clear that the addictive potential of illegal gambling is much more pronounced than that of licensed offerings. Incidentally, this is not just an important topic in Philippines , as gambling education is part of the curriculum in Northern Ireland.

Illegal gambling is extremely popular

Despite the danger posed by illegal gambling, the popularity of legally questionable providers is not only high in Philippines. Alexander Dierselhuis wanted to get to the bottom of this phenomenon and even wrote a highly acclaimed essay on this topic. Not only has he gained some amazing insights in this context, but he is now also considered a clan expert. In November 2022, the 38-year-old took up the position of police chief and has been fighting against illegal gambling ever since.

“The speed of play is much faster and the prospect of higher winnings attracts players to the machines.” – Alexander Dierselhuis, Head of Operations, “EK Fun”, Statement to the Rheinische Post

Illegal machines drive up losses

Unlike illegal machines, legal machines are programmed so that a player can lose a maximum of ₱ 1000per hour and win a maximum of ₱ 12000per hour. Illegal slots, on the other hand, can be set up to win up to ₱ 62000per game. Accordingly, there are higher individual profits, but also significantly higher losses. This allows players to lose much larger amounts of money in a shorter period of time. In order to achieve the biggest winnings possible, the location is particularly important. Alexander Dierselhuis now wants to find exactly these places.

"The gamblers don't want the regulations on the legally approved gaming machines. They reject them. They would rather play with higher stakes and the chance of higher winnings on the illegal machines." - Alexander Dierselhuis, operations manager, "EK Fun", Statement to the Rheinische Post

Illegal devices cause tax damage

Since the beginning of the year, staff in Duisburg have been specifically deployed to deal with illegal gambling. After searching 235 properties, there are now 85 cases of illegal gambling, tax evasion and violations of copyright and trademark law. According to the police chief, illegal machines can cause tax damage of around one million euros annually.

Investigations into illegal gambling