In a statement, ASAE said 12 defendants were involved in the "Roulette Algarvia" operation, which took place at the beginning of August, in relation to the exploitation and practice of illicit games, outside authorised locations.

During the operation, material related to the practice of illicit gambling was seized, namely 16 roulette wheels, five kiosks, a laptop computer and around 1,700 euros in cash, reaching a total value of €65,000.

The enforcement action, led by ASAE's National Criminal Information and Investigation Unit (UNIIC), had the technical support of the Gambling Regulation and Inspection Service.

Eleven criminal proceedings were instituted "for the unlawful exploitation and practice of games of chance, the illegal exploitation of sports betting at territorial level and fraudulent gambling" and four infringement proceedings were filed "for lack of authorisation to exploit the related sport and games of chance".