Seven men jailed in Dubai for running 'illegal gambling den'
The seven men were imprisoned for three months, ordered to pay a fine of Dh 100,000 ($27,225 US dollars) and will face deportation following the completion of their jail sentence.
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A court in Dubai convicted a group of men of running an illegal gambling in the Emirate [Getty]
Seven men in Dubai have been given prison sentences for organising an illegal gambling den in a clothing store in the city’s Al Fahidi area, reported the UAE daily Khaleej Times on Sunday.
The men, who are reportedly of Asian descent, were sentenced to three months in prison and ordered by the Dubai Criminal Court to pay a fine of Dh 100,000 ($27,225 US dollars).
Three of them were tried in absentia, according to the Sharjah-based daily Gulf Today.
The court has also ordered their deportation to their respective countries after their prison sentence is completed.
The case dates back to October 2021, when a police officer in Al-Raffa uncovered the gambling den.
The officer was suspicious of gambling taking place when he saw the group writing some numbers and exchanging money, and then playing through computers inside the store, reported Gulf Today.
According to the police officer, the manager of the den confessed that he conspired with two others to organise the gambling in return for Dh 3,000 ($816 US dollars).
Another suspect confessed that he received Dh 2,000 ($544 US dollars) for communicating with people in his home country wishing to gamble in the den prepared by the store owner.
Gambling is illegal in Dubai and the rest of the UAE, in accordance with Islamic law.
Illegal gambling usually carries a sentence of up to three years, while running a gambling house can land perpetrators in jail for up to 10 years, according to Gulf News.
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