Morocco casinos flag suspicious poker transactions as authorities open probe
Three casinos reported the transactions, with investigators examining whether poker winnings were used to disguise the origin of funds.
Morocco.- Three casinos in Marrakech and Agadir have reported suspicious transactions to Morocco’s National Financial Intelligence Authority (ANRF), prompting an investigation into suspected attempts by gamblers to use poker winnings to disguise the origin of funds.
The alerts reportedly involve Moroccan and foreign gamblers suspected of presenting funds of unknown origin as gambling winnings before depositing them into bank accounts. Investigators are examining the identities of those involved, their activities and the source of the funds, according to Hespress.
Authorities are comparing declared poker winnings with actual results recorded in casino gaming systems, while tracing bank transfers, property purchases and commercial transactions linked to the people concerned, according to Aljiha Post.
Investigators are also examining whether technical or operational weaknesses within casino systems may have been exploited to manipulate poker results, including possible links between beneficiaries of the suspected winnings and people with detailed knowledge of casino procedures or gaming systems.
The inquiry is drawing on information from Morocco’s Foreign Exchange Office and Ministry of the Interior, including cross-border transfers and financial accounts connected to people abroad.
Preliminary checks reportedly found that two people under review were already subject to financial monitoring procedures in Spain and other European Union countries over suspicions linked to illegal gambling and casino-related money laundering.
Investigators are examining whether funds of unknown origin were introduced into poker games and subsequently withdrawn as apparent winnings, potentially providing an apparently legitimate explanation for the money.
The allegations remain under investigation, with no final conclusions announced. The three casinos are identified as the sources of the suspicious-transaction reports.
