Illegal Facebook Lotteries Shut Down by the Gambling Commission
- Two persons offered Facebook players money prizes, clothing, and toys.
- The actual winners in illegal lotteries are too often the people running them, said GAIN coordinator David Gill.
No Benefit From Legal Protection, Until…
Two persons were identified behind the promotion of illegal lotteries on Facebook, a joint operation of the Gambling Commission, Facebook specialists, and the Government Agency Intelligence Network (GAIN) discovered recently.
The investigation led to the removal of said lotteries from different Facebook communities, right after their organizers were ordered to stop by the North-Eastern Regional Special Operations Unit and the South-Western Regional Unit for Combating Organized Crime in the UK.
Before they were issued with cease and desist letters, two individuals organized illegal lotteries offering players clothing, toys, and various cash prizes. Executive director of the Gambling Commission Helen Venn said that there were “hundreds of people taking part in these lotteries”. On the other hand, GAIN coordinator at the South-West Regional Organized Crime Unit David Gill informed the public that “the actual winners in illegal lotteries… are too often the people running them”.
“Illegal lotteries, including those taking place through social media channels, will continue to be a focus for our enforcement work this year as we link up closely with platforms like Facebook to pinpoint not only the activity, but those behind it and those who are breaching gambling rules and social media standards”, concluded Helen Venn, adding that many of these lotteries refuse to donate any money to charities or good causes, while consumers do not benefit from legal protection whatsoever.
