Operation ‘Rausim Illegal Gambling’ nets 65 arrests in WHP and Jiwaka
A major crackdown on illegal gambling in Western Highlands and Jiwaka has resulted in the arrest of 65 people, who are now being held at the Mt Hagen Police Station cell block.
The operation was carried out last Friday by police personnel from Jiwaka and Western Highlands in collaboration with the National Gaming Control Board (NGCB).
The joint operation aimed to eliminate all gambling activities that are not authorised by the regulator, the NGCB.
Illegal gambling hotspots targeted during the operation included Mt Hagen's infamous Okapana Market along the Okuk Highway near Dobel, the Animal Market opposite Rainbow Supermarket in town, and several other locations in Jiwaka.
During the operation, police confiscated gambling machines, compressors, generators, mobile phones, tablets and other equipment used to operate illegal High-Low and Ludoo gambling games.
Those arrested include vendors and operators accused of running illegal gambling businesses.
Speaking at a media conference on Monday, Western Highlands Provincial Police Commander Chief Superintendent John Sagom said police will continue to enforce the law against illegal gambling operators.
"We have removed and confiscated the tools used to run these illegal gambling activities. These operators have been warned before, and now we are taking action. We will not allow illegal gambling to continue because it contributes to law and order problems in our communities," Chief Superintendent Sagom said.
PPC Sagom said the Gaming Control Act 2007 clearly states that any gambling activity operating without a licence is illegal.
He said the NGCB has spent several years conducting public awareness campaigns across the country, leaving operators with no excuse to claim they were unaware of the law.
"The National Gaming Control Board has been educating the public since 2019 about legal and illegal gambling. People should already know which gambling activities are licensed and which are not. Anyone operating without a licence is committing an offence and will face the full force of the law," he said.
Meanwhile, the 65 suspects are expected to be formally charged with operating illegal gambling activities.
Under the Gaming Control Act 2007, an individual convicted of operating illegal gambling faces a fine of K5,000 or up to 12 months' imprisonment, while companies may be fined K10,000 or face up to 12 months' imprisonment.
The Act states that only four forms of gambling are legally authorised in Papua New Guinea—casinos, gaming machines (pokies), sports betting and lotteries, including bingo.
High-Low and Ludoo are not gazetted under the Act and are therefore illegal.
The NGCB says it conducted nationwide awareness campaigns on illegal gambling from 2019 to 2025, and the current operation forms part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the social and economic impacts of illegal gambling across the country.
Chief Superintendent Sagom warned that police will continue conducting similar operations throughout Western Highlands.
"This operation will continue. I am warning all illegal gambling operators to stop now. Do not ignore the awareness that has been given. Comply with the law or be prepared to face arrest and prosecution," Sagom said.