Major Israeli online sports betting bust

Israeli police launched a successful drive against an online gambling ring this week, reports the newspaper Haaretz, arresting 28 individuals following visits to 40 premises across the country.
Premises raided included suspects’ homes, offices, and currency-exchange stands.
Police spokesmen said that investigations indicated that the suspects systematically circumvented the ban on credit companies providing money-clearing services to gambling websites, and broke laws against gambling, money laundering and tax violations.
Describing the modus operandi used by the suspects, police said that “cash cards” worth between NIS 100 and NIS 5,000 were distributed to dozens of kiosks at centres around the country. After buying a card, gamblers scratched off its covering and entered its number into an internet gambling site, whereupon the amount of money was immediately deposited in the users’ online account.
Once they cashed out, the sums were deposited into the individuals’ bank accounts.
The ring, which included an effective distribution system for the cards, experienced a spike in buyers during the current soccer World Cup, police spokesmen claimed, adding that it is believed that the ring facilitated wagers from hundreds of users.
One of the suspects is a police officer employed in the computer division and holding the senior rank of superintendent, it has been claimed.  He was suspended from service in January for reasons unrelated to the case.

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