Gambling is ever on the rise in Duhok

25-05-2021 06:58

PEREGRAF- Duhok

Karwan Daud has lost everything he had – his family, his relatives and friends. He has spent a year in prison for being addicted to gambling.

The last time that Karwan played was at the gambling hall found on the Salahadin Resort road. After having lost all his money, he placed bets using his friend’s borrowed car instead of money, which he also lost.

"I was arrested for the year due to the car by Hawler police. Now I have given up gambling and I only play Bingo, which does not cost a lot of money. If I have $100, I place only $50 as bet." Karwan said to PEREGRAF.

"I had two wives. In 2014, I suffered great losses due to gambling and my marriage life ended because of huge debts."

"There were times when I earned $10, 000 in a single night through gambling. Such games, especially Bingo, hundreds of thousands of dollars leave Duhok through electronic gambling, which can be accessed via different mobile and computer applications." Karwan said.

Any game involving money, household or properties is considered as a gambling frame. Some also have electronic indicators and are available in most cities in the Kurdistan Region, especially in Duhok, which is Bingo is the most popular one.

Zyad, is a fictitious name given to a citizen of Duhok citizen who is also a gambling fan. He said to PEREGRAF: "Mostly young people are playing Bingo, which starts from 1 000 dinars to 700 000 dinars. The more expensive the cards are, the higher the profits that can be earned; and the greater the number of people present in the hall to participate, the more money the winner gets."

"The owners of the game halls profit from huge sums of money and sometimes even obtain profits amounting to $10,000 in a single night."

"I know that some places have officials and authorities behind them and no one can talk against them or close them down. Many places labelled as casinos and cafeterias are opened for gambling not only in Duhok but in other districts and provinces also." Zyad said.

Duhok Security Forces closed 22 Bingo playgrounds in early April this year, but the campaign was not to cease gambling; rather it was within the framework of the Coronavirus protection measures.

"Police has launched a campaign to close down gambling places. In less than 2 months, more than 30 people have been arrested with gambling charges and more than 10 gambling places have been shut." Hemin Sulaiman, Duhok spokesperson said to PEREGRAF.

As a police officer, he admitted: "Gambling has increased, especially electronic gambling, which is difficult to control. But gambling places are not allowed and the police will continue to close them down." he said.

According to the Iraqi Penal Code, to which the Kurdistan Region is also operating, gambling is prohibited and punishment shall be imposed. Owners of gambling places shall be sentenced to one year of prison and fined. Anyone who gambles shall be sentenced to at least a month.

Revin Yasin, a lawyer in Duhok said to PEREGRAF "According to the penal code, someone who repeats an offense shall face punishments which are much more severe."

The lawyer said that apart from being imprisoned, the imposed fine shall be between 250,000 and 300,000 dinars.

People are now participating in electronic games due to the variety of payment methods available. Bingo and other types of games are mostly bets, such as football betting.

Kofan Ahmed, said "Bingo casinos are present in Duhok and they obtained their licenses from Duhok provincial administration. More than 40 Bingo places have licenses and each place pays a monthly fee to the provincial administration, starting from 700,000 dinars to 2 million dinars."

Kofan also said that his Bingo hall is considered as "the normal Bingo" and it is now closed due to the Coronavirus.

Kofan explained that there are two types of Bingo games common in Duhok. The normal one has an internal income and operates according to instructions. But the second type involves 74 percent of the money leaving the country’s economy, which is prohibited.

According to Kofan, the second type is still being carried out, although some have closed down due to its unlawful nature. But it is secretly played and some people play it through mobile phones and other electronic devices.

In the Kurdistan Region, no laws have been issued regarding the organization or prohibition of gambling places, but the Dhok Provincial Council decided in 2015 to close down these places.

Sabah Bapiry, the head of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) in the Duhok Provincial Council said to PEREGRAF: "When the decision was made, several places were shut down, but gambling is still ongoing. Based on our investigations, Bingo has increased in Duhok – including the one with physical Bingo cards and the digital ones played online, which involves lots of foreign currency".

He said they have warned the government and related parties to prevent the hazards related to Internet companies by prohibiting online games and betting. "I have had a follow-up which revealed that 200,000 dollars monthly goes out of Duhok via online gambling, and many families have been disbanded because of this."

In Sabah Bapir’s opinion, the increase of gambling places in Duhok has some consequences, such as increasing Bingo places and online games, which are international games. The other impact is that officials are behind these nightclubs and gambling places.

The Interior Ministry of the Kurdistan Region Government, in October 2019, promised to make serious efforts to eliminate gambling.

Rebar Ahmed, the Interior Minister told journalists that gambling has increased, not only in Duhok, but also in all of the Kurdistan Region, which needs to be reorganized in order to ban the gambling community. This needs to be rearranged such that it is clear what can be licensed and not.

Gambling is forbidden in Islam, as it can be a source of bankruptcy and family distortion.

Rizgar Hassan, a University teacher and Technology expert in Duhok, believes that it is important for people to be aware of the dangers of gambling, as it can result in family dissolution and bankruptcy. He explained to PEREGRAF that this can be done through groups, seminars and media outlets.

"Gambling prevails in all the cities but it is more popular in Duhok. This has a negative impact since money is being taken from city to others, which is bad for the people and the economy. Therefore, the government should prohibit gambling especially the digital ones." said Rizgar Hassan.