A TEESSIDE man has been forced to surrender £140,000 after running illegal lotteries from his Facebook page.

The money was confiscated from a man from Middlesbrough, who was investigated by the Gambling Commission and economic crime officers.

The investigation into the 27-year-old started in July 2020 as he was suspected of running illegal lotteries from his Facebook page.

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The man was running a substantial amount of lottery style services including ‘bonus balls’ and ‘raffles’ for his own personal gain with thousands of transactions going through his bank accounts. 

These types of lotteries are the preserve of charities and other ‘good causes’ and cannot be run for private or commercial gain unless they qualify as one of the ‘exempt’ class of lotteries in the Gambling Act 2005. 

At a Proceeds of Crime hearing at the end of March, a forfeiture order was made for almost £140,000 held in bank accounts belonging to the man which were considered to be his personal profit from the lotteries.

Sgt Suzanne Boulton, from the confiscation team, said: “This was a complex investigation and our officers, in particular DC Deborah Southall, conducted a comprehensive investigation to achieve this outcome.

“I’d like to thank the Gambling Commission for their assistance, particularly in providing evidence which supported our enquiries.

“No one should profit from criminal activity and the Proceeds of Crime Act enables police and partner agencies to confiscate cash, including money held in bank accounts and other physical assets gained through illegal means.

“This result serves as a stark warning that anyone involved in such activity can expect to find themselves the focus of intense scrutiny and any so-called ill-gotten gains can be forfeit.”

A spokesperson from the Gambling Commission said: “Illegal lotteries, including those taking place through social media channels, will continue to be a focus for our enforcement work as we link up closely with police forces and platforms like Facebook to pinpoint not only the activity, but those behind it and those who are breaching gambling rules and social media standards.”

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