Kosovo police continue crack down on illegal gambling, as 19 arrested

The police in Kosovo have been cracking down on illegal gambling, with 22 premises having been closed down since April.

The focus has been on the organization of pyramid schemes and illegal gambling, with 19 people reported to have been arrested.

According to the local news publisher Kossev, the last operation was carried out in the city and largest municipality of Kosovo, known as Podujevo. It was here that “machines for games of chance, cash, narcotics and cold weapons were found in two buildings,” the report states.

The police are also alleged to have checked the identities of hundreds of citizens, with legal proceedings having been initiated against those who are considered suspects.

“Five machines for games of chance and cash were found in one of the two controlled facilities, and one person was arrested on the spot. In another building, a certain amount of narcotics and a cold weapon – a knife – were discovered,” the publisher said.

This country in the Southeast of Europe has had an interesting history with gambling, with it now being illegal.

The national lottery is the only form that is legal, and it operates under a public-legal body which is governed by laws.

Before 2019, betting was described as having become hugely popular over the last few years and the Guardian reported the government took in €20m (roughly $22M USD) annually through taxes on gambling.

It was in March of 2019 though when the government called for all gambling to be banned for the next decade. This came after two casino staff were murdered in the country.

At the time, the prime minister Ramush Haradinaj described the measure as “strengthening public security.”

“We will not allow these venues to be arenas of crime that claim people’s lives,” he had said in a note published on social media.

Now, in 2025, the country has some of the strictest laws against the gambling industry in all of Europe.

Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram

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