There was a co-ordinated police raid on five bars in Benidorm on Saturday afternoon by a police unit from the National Police of the Valencian government – in a crackdown on illegal gambling. There had been an undercover surveillance on the establishments – all British and Saturday, the day of the Grand National was payday!

Over €5000 in cash was confiscated along with betting slips, four laptops, television monitors and markers. Timetables, schedules and betting slips confirmed to the police that the premises were being used for illegal activity.

Police announced that in one of the establishments over 150 bets had been placed in the space of four hours amounting to €22,000 – which they managed to work out from the discarded slips. Over the years there have been many raids on British bars, predominantly for bingo and any sort of gambling is illegal unless placed in authorized establishments. Gambling is heavily regulated and all money must be declared to the tax authorities – something the police have confirmed was not done in these instances.

There are betting machines at the Casino Mediterraneo and Luckys, all in easy reach, available for both residents and holidaymakers. The team are also investigating five local ex-pats living in La Nucia, Alfaz and Benidorm for money laundering following the raid.
For those that come here on holiday be warned – you too can be fined and prosecuted as being an accessory to illegal gambling in any such raids.