Thai Police Arrest Nine in Raid on Foreigners’ Illegal Poker Den

Thai police say they have raided an illegal poker den in central Phuket that catered to Russian-speakers.

Chalong Police Station officials said they had arrested nine suspects, all of whom are foreign nationals, the Thai media outlet News 1 Live reported.

Officers said an operator had “brazenly” set up the poker den, using the social media platform Instagram to spread awareness of the illegal betting ring.

The unnamed mastermind called the den “Poker Level” and told would-be poker players they could meet at a luxury villa in the Rawai Subdistrict of the Mueang Phuket district.

Chalong police said they discovered the advertisement and found that it required would-be poker players to click on a link.

This link led users to a WhatsApp group, where they could obtain more details about upcoming gambling sessions.

Thai Police: Poker Crackdown

The mastermind allegedly stated that only Russian-speaking non-Thai nationals were welcome, with prizes paid in crypto or Thai baht.

The operator charged players a “registration fee” of 20,000 baht (around $645) per session.

Police from the Chalong station raided the villa on February 12, surrounding the property to prevent anyone inside from escaping. After confirming that illegal gambling activities were indeed underway at the villa, police moved in and made the arrests.

Officers said seven of the individuals were Russian nationals. The other arrestees held passports issued in Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Investigators said they also seized cash during their raids, as well as gambling tables, playing cards, and chips.

Detectives said they seized a range of digital devices “such as mobile phones and computers,” as they broadened their search for other members of the betting ring.

The suspects were charged with organizing illegal gambling and exchanging property without permission, under the terms of the Gambling Act.

Poker Legalization Reversed

The Thai government briefly lifted its blanket ban on poker tournaments last year, only for the country’s interim Prime Minister to reverse the decision in October.

Last month, two Thai actresses said illegal online casino promoters had taken over their social media accounts. The actresses said they were not affiliated with posts made in their names, which encouraged followers to make deposits on Thai-language gambling platforms.

In December, meanwhile, hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia spilled over into the casino world.

Thai military forces bombed Poipet, a casino hub on the Cambodia-Thai border, claiming betting and scam centers were functioning as makeshift military bases.