Nine jailed for seven years in gambling and money laundering website case in Kuwait

Dubai: Kuwait's Criminal Court has sentenced nine people to seven years in prison each and fined them KD1million after convicting them of forming an organised criminal gang that operated an online gambling website and laundered illicit funds.

The court also imposed a fine exceeding 1.839 million dinars on a company involved in the case, ordered its permanent prohibition from conducting any direct or indirect commercial activity, and directed that the verdict be published in the official gazette for its role in facilitating financial transfers, Al Qabas Arabic daily reported.

The Ministry of Interior said the convictions followed sustained security efforts to combat organised crime and protect the financial system from illegal activities. Investigations revealed that proceeds from gambling were channelled through bank accounts belonging to a medical clinic and commercial companies, falsely recorded as legitimate revenues before being recycled and transferred abroad to conceal their unlawful origin.

The ministry warned that engaging with illegal websites or participating in their activities constitutes a criminal offence, stressing it would take the strictest legal action against anyone exploiting digital platforms to undermine the financial system.