Betting raids

POLICE carried out a number of raids on betting shops in Paphos on Wednesday night as part of their continuing clampdown on illegal gambling.

Police raided betting shops in Polis Chrysochous and the village of Timi in the Paphos district. In total, nine illicit machines and a sum of cash considered to be illegal earnings were confiscated by Paphos police.

The owners of three betting shops were arrested, charged and released.

Reports have indicated that the government is currently losing £20 million a year in tax lost to illegal gambling, estimated to be worth £80 million a year.

Justice Minister Sophocles Sophcleous had called for an investigation into the matter, saying illegal gambling is “not only disastrous for the economy but also gives out the wrong message that people acting outside the law can become richer”.

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