Austrian financial police impose €492,000 in fines in Q1
| By Marese O'Hagan
Austria's financial police Bundesministerium Finanzen imposed €492,000 (£424,915/$525,119) in fines related to illegal gambling in the first quarter of 2023.
This was revealed alongside a number of other statistics covering tax evasion and anti-fraud, which took place in Austria during the first three months of the year.
Magnus Brunner, Austria’s finance minister, said that illegal activities “weaken” Austria’s economy, which creates “unfair competitive conditions” for those operating legally.
Illegal gambling fines
The police said that 46 properties were inspected during the first quarter, which resulted in 27 criminal complaints. These complaints generated a total of €492,000 in fines.
In total, 20 of the criminal complaints were filed in Vienna, with these alone resulting in fines of €300,000.
Following the quarter’s conclusion, the police’s fraud prevention office confiscated 76 illegal gaming machines in Salzberg.