Gambling machines worth R3m destroyed
2002-08-14 22:13
East London - Some 238 illegal gambling machines worth R3m were
destroyed in the East London area on Wednesday during an operation led by the Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board (ECGBB).
ECGBB chief executive officer Gonza Mati said the machines were seized from illegal gambling institutions in Umzimkhulu,
Lusikisiki, Port Elizabeth, Graaff-Reinet and East London areas.
Mati described the operation as a first step by law enforcement agencies and the board to curb illegal gambling in the province.
He said the machines, confiscated following various tip-offs
from members of the public, were destroyed at the Buffalo City fire department in East London.
But Mati warned that illegal operators were developing new ways to get around the law, such as using computer parts without
keyboards for gambling.
The board had confiscated 16 of those computers in Port
Elizabeth, which were later donated to the provincial Department of
Education.
- SAPA