Hawks clamp down on owners of illegal gambling establishment

LYDENBURG – The Hawks Organised Crime Unit pounced on several shops in Mashishing and Coromandel on Friday, seizing seven illegal gambling machines and arresting seven suspects.

This follows after the public lodged complaints about the shops allowing underaged children to operate the machines.

A community member, who wished to remain anonymous, told the newspaper that children in Mashishing had begun to steal money from their parents in order to go gambling. “It’s terrible, children as young as five are stealing money for this. They think that it’s a game machine and don’t understand that it is illegal and even dangerous.”

The newspaper was lucky enough to meet up with the Hawks before the operation was carried out. The 14 unit members proceeded to Mashishing, splitting up and clamping down on the stores known for stashing the gambling equipment.

The news, however, quickly spread and shop owners started hiding the machines after five arrests were made. One owner stashed his machine at a next-door neighbour, but it was quickly discovered by the Hawks. Others hastily closed their stores and hid.

One of the five suspects, a Chinese man said to be the supplier of the machines, were also arrested. While the five suspects were questioned by the Hawks at Lydenburg SAPS, another two were arrested at Coromandel.

All seven the machines were broken open and the money inside counted and confiscated. WO Timothy Maboea of Middelburg Organised Crime Unit, told the newspaper that two of the seven suspects were not first-time offenders.

At the police station relatives of the suspects arrived to hear whether the suspects would be granted bail. Maboea said that four would be released on R5 000 police bail each and one on R2 500. The other two, including the Chinese man, would be arrested since they were not first-time offenders. They would, however, still have to pay a police fine of R5 000 each.

“We set the police bail high in order for them not to just get away with a small fine and immediately fall back and start up with the illegal gambling again.”

Maboea said that a total of R3 472 was recovered from the machines. “The machines and the money will be handed over to the Mpumalanga Gambling Board.”

The two suspects appeared in the Lydenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The case was postponed to January 28.

According to the Mpumalanga Gambling Board, illegal gambling occurs when an unlicensed operator or persons offer gambling products to the public. Types of illegal gambling includes, Internet gambling, umshaynina (fahfee), and any form of betting at unlicensed venues, such as gambling in Internet cafes, on streets and public areas accessible to minors, and any other venue without a gambling licence certificate on displayed.

Unlicensed and illegal operators pose the following risk to the public:

• Games offered to punters have not been checked and approved by the regulator to show compliance with the technical standards aimed at ensuring, among others, that the games offered are fair. Illegal operators do not pay tax and as a result do not contribute to fiscals.

• Illegal operators do not contribute toward industry initiatives, such as contributing to the National Responsible Gambling Programme, which is aimed at minimising the risk and danger of gambling.

• Any member of the public who becomes aware of the existence of illegal operators should report it to the Mpumalanga Gambling Board on 013-750-8000 or at any SAPS Police Station.