An illegal online lottery offering luxury cars and expensive Rolex watches has come to an abrupt end following a raid and seizures in Vienna’s Floridsdorf district. Authorities uncovered undeclared revenues of between 600,000 and 800,000 euros. The twelve suspects now face heavy fines and immigration consequences, as they were living in Austria illegally, the Federal Ministry of Finance announced on Friday.
The suspects allegedly enticed participants with high-value prizes and sold thousands of tickets, primarily via Facebook. Hundreds of people from across Europe participated, paying up to 100 euros per ticket, a spokesperson for State Secretary Barbara Eibinger-Miedl (ÖVP) told APA. The money was transferred either to the 30-year-old main suspect or paid in person at the lottery headquarters, located in an inconspicuous residential building in Vienna’s 21st district. The Vienna Criminal Investigation Department and later the Financial Police (Office for Combating Fraud) launched an investigation. On March 26, a raid was carried out with the support of the WEGA special unit, the standby police unit, and local police.
Dog sniffs out hidden Rolex watches
During the raid, suspects voluntarily handed over only one Rolex watch, but customs sniffer dog Ike discovered two more hidden in a laundry cabinet. Officials also found meticulous records of participant payments, allowing investigators to confirm undeclared revenues between 600,000 and 800,000 euros. The watches were seized as collateral for unpaid gambling taxes and are now held by the Special Competence Office of the Austrian Tax Authority. The lottery operators now face financial penalties under the Gambling Act and may also face deportation, as the suspects—Serbian nationals—were in the country illegally. Participants in the lottery may take civil action against the organizers.
“Thanks to the excellent cooperation of our investigative authorities, we were able to dismantle this fraudulent scheme. This success once again highlights how ruthless illegal gambling networks operate while funneling large sums past the state,” said Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ) and State Secretary Eibinger-Miedl in the statement.
