Spanish Gambling Venues Turn Into Crime Scenes After Armed Attacks

Posted on: September 20, 2022, 08:31h. 

Last updated on: September 21, 2022, 05:12h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Two serious incidents occurred in Spain early Monday morning. One involved a robbery of a roulette winner; the other, an attempted robbery, of a gambling property left one person dead.

Spain National Police
A Spanish National Police van arrives at a courthouse in Madrid as officers stand guard. The police are busy investigating two separate incidents involving gambling properties, one of which left an employee dead. (Image: Voice of America)

Police are now on the trail of armed robbers in Granada following an assault at approximately 2 a.m. Monday.

Before the incident, a gambler won €7,000 (US$6,975) playing roulette. But as he walked out of the unidentified casino, two criminals jumped the man, robbing him of his money, cell phone, and other personal belongings.

The unidentified victim initially fought back. However, one of the attackers had a pistol, which he used to beat his victim. As a result, the man received serious injuries that required treatment at a local hospital.

Although the robbers escaped, they might not get too far. Investigators say surveillance footage from inside the casino captured their images, which are now under review to determine the crooks’ identities.

Bingo Night Turns Deadly

Also, on Monday, an attempted robbery of a bingo hall in the town of Tortosa in Tarragona left one employee dead and another person injured.

Shortly after midnight, two or three men broke into the premises. They began shooting, first hitting a customer and then, as they made their escape, the employee, according to Spanish media outlet ABC.

The employee, who suffered critical injuries, and the other person were transferred to a hospital in the municipality. The employee was reportedly shot at least once in the head and died a few hours later. The other victim suffered serious back injuries, although he is now in recovery.

The identities of the alleged assailants are unknown.

Investigation Ongoing

Police have begun reviewing footage from the property and surrounding area and are now searching for clues. They haven’t revealed the names of the victims, in part because they’re still conducting an active investigation. Releasing the names could also put the survivor and the families of both individuals at risk.

The initial theory is that this was a botched robbery. However, police are discrediting this idea due to the swiftness of the attack with a lack of attempt to take cash.

No other details were released by police.

The two incidents are unrelated.