Arrest of a Betting Website Manager in Isfahan with a Turnover of 40 Billion Tomans

The police chief of Isfahan province announced the arrest of the manager of a betting website with a turnover of 40 billion tomans. The Mizan news agency, affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, reported on Wednesday, June 21, that this individual was arrested by the Cyber Police (FATA). Abdolreza Aghakhani added that the management of this high-turnover betting website was conducted in one of the provinces of the country, and the manager resided 'outside the province.' He did not mention the name of this province but added that FATA officers in Isfahan province were dispatched to the mentioned location with judicial permission and arrested the suspect during a surprise operation, handing him over along with collected documents and evidence to the judicial authorities. According to Aghakhani, this individual had designed a 'specific game' using betting methods. The police chief of Isfahan announced the closure of this betting website and the identification of 'all' of this individual's financial accounts. Aghakhani further stated that participants in this game were from 'across the country' and added, 'Individuals participating in betting websites are also considered criminals.' He noted that according to the law, both the operators of betting websites and users of these sites commit criminal acts, and the law has prescribed punishments for both parties. Previously, several conservative media outlets criticized the increase in the number of betting websites, including those related to football in Iran, calling it 'internet gambling.' In the fall of 2016, the 'Fardani News' website lamented the rise of 'betting, gambling, poker, and casino websites' in Iran over the past year, expressing that 'no one is stopping these sites.' According to this website, this issue raises a 'very big question' about which authority to ask and who can actually stop these sites. The Cyber Police had previously warned internet users in Iran not to trust betting websites at all, as they are viewed by the police as operating solely for 'fraud.' According to the Cyber Police of the Law Enforcement Force, from a legal perspective, the operators of these websites are 'criminals,' and this police force will take 'legal and decisive' action against their managers.