- National Republican Guard arrests 18 people in a raid on a private poker game on the island of Madeira.
- Goods totaling €47k were seized including two cars and €2.2k in cash.
- The players and organizers can expect between 3 months and 2 years in prison.
The farcical—but highly intimidating—bingo raid in Portugal last month has been followed by a raid on a private poker game in Madeira, a Portuguese autonomous region. The Atlantic island is a famous tourist destination.
The National Republican Guard arrested 18 people at a private home where a poker game was being held. The arrests followed a four month surveillance operation—the final raid was given the code name “All-In”—and executed following the issue of a search and seizure warrant issued by the Judicial Court of Funchal.
Ten people were caught playing and police seized €2200 in cash and two cars, as well as taking a mobile phone from everyone present. A laptop and iPad completed the haul.
The two cars that were seized were imported illegally into Madeira, and several of the people managing the game were also on the Island illegally.
National republican Guard Major Marco Nunes said that the people they arrested could expect between three months to two years in prison.
Gambling in Madeira is currently restricted to the Casino Madeira, but online gaming is expected to be introduced soon as Portugal’s dire fiscal position drives a political agenda for gambling liberalization—and taxes.
