Slovakia gambling firm TIPOS under money laundering cloud

Slovakia’s state-run gambling operator Tipos is under scrutiny after its offices were raided and its boss arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

On Tuesday, around 30 members of Slovakia’s National Criminal Agency (NAKA) descended on Tipos’ Bratislava offices, leaving with the company’s boss Ján Barczi and IT chief Miloš Prelec in handcuffs. The pair will reportedly face a custody hearing on Friday to determine their immediate fate.

Local media reported that the pair will face charges of “violations of obligations in the administration of foreign property and legalization of income from crime.” Neither Tipos nor the Ministry of Finance have yet to issue any statement regarding the allegations or who is running the ship following the detention of the two execs.

NAKA was reportedly acting on a tip that money was being laundered through Tipos online accounts. Money of questionable origin was reportedly deposited into dormant Tipos accounts, then transferred to private bank accounts without any gambling activity taking place.