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I saw this thread Gambling in Pop Culture (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5543809.0) and I remember one movie in particular, starring John Malcovich and Matt Damon. And it makes me wonder about those underground gambling rings. And also when I was growing up watching movies locally, there will always this plot twist that there is a illegal gambling den and it will be raided by the hero of the movie and then those running it says it is being protected by high officials of the government.

And so have you heard of it like in your country?

I also dig one story about it here:


https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/newyork/press-releases/2013/defendants-plead-guilty-in-manhattan-federal-court-to-participating-in-racketeering-conspiracy-with-russian-american-organized-crime-enterprise-operating-international-sportsbook-and-to-participating-in-a-gambling-ring

Or have you played in this kind of underground gambling den before?

In those countries where gambling is officially prohibited by the state, there will always be underground gambling. Wherever you can get a cash influx, a place will be created that would satisfy the desires and needs of people willing to spend their money. I don’t know of such hot spots in my country, but I think they exist, and they are intended for a narrow circle of people who get there through connections or invitations. Of course, all the films talking about underground casinos are not invented by directors; these are real places that are also monitored, punished, and then reopened. The love of profit will always be in defiance of the laws, one way or another.

It seems to me that this is a stereotypical image. Moreover, it is already outdated, because if something like this happened, it was in the past. Now are different times and different morals, because all industries are regulated. The gambling industry is among them. The place of the high-ranking official who protects is now occupied by the "state". I don't know how it is in other countries, but in mine it happens something like this. There are certain gambling zones where gambling is legal, and in all other areas - it is not. Violation of this leads to consequences. I don't think that anyone would want to take the risk. Even high-ranking officials.

This is an example of a small private underground casino. I do not exclude that somewhere similar still exists, but only for a narrow circle of people. Of course, only its own circle of people. It is more like a small closed club for wealthy people.
 
It is illegal. At any moment the police can break in and close this casino. Do you need such entertainment to find yourself in the process of this?:)

Gambling is legal here in my country. My government has been encouraging people to open more casinos near the beaches to develop tourism, which would create many jobs. Well, that is happening, but even though gambling is legal in my country, there are still clandestine casinos everywhere. This happens because those clandestine casinos don't want to pay taxes.

But since the clandestine casinos in my country are located inside restaurants, and the government at least collects taxes on the operation of the restaurant, my government pretends not to see the clandestine casinos. People also don't report the clandestine casinos because they want to play near their homes.

Gambling here is illegal unless the government gives approval to the provider. I have seen some illegal small time card games happening in my town and they ended their activities either because of police interference or after players hurt each other because of the gambling debt. Lately I haven’t witnessed anything like that but I am sure it is still happening in the other parts of the country. It is because no matter what law is in place, some people will want to break the law anyway.

It is wise to stay away from anyone that commits these illegal activities. Every once in a while a fight over debt happens and before you know it bullets start flying.

People are allowed to have a gambling business in my country and citizens are allowed to play so far the person is already 18 years of age or more. Underground gambling are illegal gambling but if gambling is legalized in a country, people will prefer to get registered instead and make their gambling sites legal. This is better than trying not to pay tax but in a way the gambling site can be known and shut down by the government.

I have many gambling platforms that I can use legally, then why underground gambling? As for the online illegal gambling sites, they are not located in my country and I avoid them because I do not trust them. I play on foreign sites like Stake, but that is because they are not illegal but legal and have a license.

The movie you are referring to is Rounders. Probably the poker movie out there even though it is over 20 years old now. Far as underground gambling goes, I used to deal a private poker game. Poker itsself is not illegal but rather when you take a rake from the pot it makes the game illegal. We played Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights and some games would run 24 hours plus. Seen all kinds of crazy plays and met lots of interesting people.

I personally don't think the shit should be illegal, but the government wants their piece which IMO is total bs. They take enough in taxes, let people have some fun without having to be involved.

I havent thought about this before and I must look into it. In my country Gambling
is legal as well but it seems like its more controlled than your country primarily to
reduce or eliminate under age gambling.

Anyway I guess the issue surrounding taxes is similar. In hotels I know there are Poker
tournament events happening which I guess is a tax evasion technique possibly.

I can think that that would be the only way gambling would be illegal in my country
or perhaps gambling on illegal events like dog fighting. ^{which i find despicable}

No. I might have attended private, underground poker games at the time but ruled it out because of potential risks. You never know if there are going to be people who are in cahoots, or you don't know if they might tip someone off so that when you leave if you've won a lot of money they might try to mug you. For this I preferred to play from home and go to the casino from time to time, where you have some guarantees, there are cameras, parking and security.

Until now, there’s a lot of gambling den here in my country even on my neighborhood. I believe this is still existing until since many people wants to gamble PVP on their neighborhood without the need to go on local casino because of their location is too far away.

Gambling is illegal here to play publicly so this illegal gambling den is popular here and some are using burial ceremonies as way to gamble because it’s legal on burial grounds ceremony as way to help bereaved family to gain financial support from gambling game fees.

https://qz.com/436809/in-the-philippines-mourners-honor-the-dead-by-placing-bets

When in a country gambling isn't allowed then in that situation underground gambling is going to take place. The gamblers can't control their urge for long time and they've to gamble no matter if it's allowed or not allowed. In many areas where gambling isn't allowed, the friends, or same minded people have created their private places where they'll gamble and have fun. While, in areas where gambling is allowed there's no need of underground gambling.

There are others who still sees it as something worthy. Anyway I prefer online casinos and it's legal to gamble in my country I don't ever see any reason of going there. Such an environment is no for me even if it's in an open space.

I think it might still be occurring in my country while there are those who commonly gamble  cards and draughts locally in an unofficial location they are not scared to do it in open environment and this includes local market.

There are cases in my country where high ranking police official is the protector of illegal gambling.  These protectors ranges from barangay officiao as high as high-ranking officials of the law enforcement institution. 

Here is an article where the protector is a former police chief: Police chief tied to drug lord killings took P1M weekly from illegal gambling — ex-Cebu City mayor (https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/09/19/2386470/police-chief-tied-drug-lord-killings-took-p1m-weekly-illegal-gambling-ex-cebu-city-mayor)


I have the freedom to gamble online and am free of worries while playing the games I like.  Why would I go to a situation where trouble is inevitable?  I am contented with how I play gambling so it never cross my mind to even try playing in an illegal gambling den.

Apparently these people who want still to go and find an underground ring to play poker are ignorant or they need to feel some sort of different adrenaline. Nowadays most platforms allow anyone to place big enough bets that there is no need to go and chase these underground places, maybe at that time 2010-2013 the cryptocurrency casinos were not massive and that is most likely the reason why these people needed to feel such adrenaline. As I said now the cryptocurrencies casinos have bloomed big enough and offer the possibility to also place big enough bets that no one now needs to do things like those in 2010-2013 to feel the adrenaline of playing poker with a huge amount of money as their base bet, most big casinos now allow to place big enough bets so I see no reason why someone should go and put themselves at danger by accessing illegal gambling rings.

I'm sure that they exist but I'm don't want to look for it or play on it, unregulated gambling dens like are dangerous, you might not know who you are playing with or if you managed to win they might get after you or something like that. I still want regulated casinos and sports betting.

Even though they are protected by the government or people with power (such as police), you might get at risk if you win, they might arrest you.  ;D

I'm not sure what you mean by worthy. I mean it's illegal by any sense so why take the chances to play? And for sure the crowd there is very different, no security whatsoever so it's a dangerous place to play.


Perhaps is occurs in many countries and there are somewhat being back by corrupt politicians and the police force. But again, it's not like something we see very often in the streets or neighborhood and probably only few people know that they existed.

This was in the past now, although some countries like Korea still forbids gambling, but most countries are only after illegal gambling rings, now things are different because you only need two things.

1. Did your government supports or permits casinos to operate in your country?
2. Can you get your casino business registred?

If these two questions are checked marked for you then nothing will happen, nowadays many countries use casinos as another income stream to strengthen their country, while some don't like the idea at all like Korea.

I meant if it worth the risks for them. It's illegal doesn't mean people can't do it. People do things against the government policies because they see it as worth it but the risks are still there.

We can possibly say that it's dangerous, with it many potential risks which might not be worth taken by one but to another it's just like we see on movies of such.

My country have no restriction in gambling as there even serious competition in the gambling business. Hence, there is no need for this kind of gambling which is mostly seen in countries where gambling is banned. There was a time in my country where there was resentment at gambling, which made people gamble in secret. Then this form of gambling was possible but now people discuss gambling openly and even some who had things to say against gambling in the past now gamble actively. What could have changed? Well, I don't know.

Before online gambling became popular, underground gambling was already a thing.. and yeah, I actually got to experience that. It was usually a group of gamblers in one big place with different tables. Just local card games in our area, but it definitely fits the description of underground gambling.

There were no taxes involved, just pure gambling. The “house” or host would only take a small commission for sponsoring the games. But nowadays, it’s gotten riskier because of the presence of cameras, anyone could easily record and report it with solid evidence.

Never. I guess the most illegal way that I gambled was just outside. I mean on the street where we play "kara krus", heads or tails with three similar coins that must all land the same, all three heads or tails. I remember a time when we were running because the police car suddenly popped out in front of us. They didn't use their siren light, which is why we didn't notice they were there. The mistake was that the lookout had gone to buy some cigarette,s and that's the reason it got near us.
That's the deepest gambling I have been, but I never thought of going deeper than that. It's too scary.

Even if that existed, I don't think that news will become publicly because those underground casino will have a corrupt officials that protect that place. But I don't hear about that news here before but I think underground casino existed and only for those who know that place. Public will not know much about that place and will not think if that place is exist. That will be a secret for some people who often come to that place and gambling with others.

These underground gambling platforms become popular here gambling is prohibited.  In the Northern part of my country where gambling is not accepted because of religious beliefs such platforms exist in the secret. I am not interested in playing on these platforms because they are mostly controlled by gangs. Some of these gang members have connections with law enforcement agencies who they give commissions. Sometimes there are raids by police if they were not given their cut or if a new top officer resumes in that location. Disagreements in those gambling centers sometimes lead to fights since it is an illegal operation. It will be better to use crypto casinos secretly than to risk your security gambling in these underground platforms.  

The underground gambling can mostly be effective in a country that forbids gambling, if it's a country like mine where gambling is legalized, once you acquire your license of operation, you can carry on with your business. Although, it's only the people that have failed to get a license that will hide, so they don't get detected.

This type of gambling is mostly common in countries where gambling is prohibited and they mostly gamble on games that seems unethical. Few months ago I read a story about how kids were trafficked and sold out to people that use them as kick boxers. People watch these kids fight each other and even place bets on them, if that was legal they wouldn't be hiding. Underground gambling is a criminal act.

I think such a thing exists in every country, it is just different in how big they are. I mean if playing for money is illegal outside of established places, then even small gatherings of friends can be considered underground gambling rings. Of course big cities are going to have larger games with a lot more money.

No, because it is very risk. On one side you don't know if some of the people there are dangerous, on the other you can get in trouble with the police if it is not legal where you are doing this.

Underground gambling could be popular in the past when there was too much skepticism about it, groups of gamblers with like minds will converge and gamble in secret. But I believe that era is fast fading out especially in countries like mine where gambling is legal, why gamble illegally when you can do it legally and stay out of trouble. I used to watch a lot of underground fighting ring movies in the past, I wonder if such things still exist in this age? I sometimes see hoodlums in corners gambling and I don't think that any right thinking gambler will dare to join them because they are mostly criminals.

Underground gambling only really makes sense if gambling is illegal in your country or if there are no online options available. But now that online gambling is so popular, there’s really no reason to take that risk and go underground.

Maybe some people enjoy the thrill of it, like being in a physical casino, but that’s not really my thing.

I’d rather stay at home, gamble while working, and just do the whole multitasking setup.

There is an underground business for everyone shady thing. And the enablers of these are the corrupt security officers and government officials. They are fully aware that something like this exists but they turn the other way for small percentage. These underground gambling are dangerous places where you find the worst of humans. I haven't played there and I will never do so.

Not all physical casinos in my area are below, only in part like in Hai Lai Ancol and in Plot Sembilan, the casino is on the ground floor of the Sarinah building, but I have never gambled there.

In my country the casino is mostly illegal, but the law enforcement is deaf with it, even though it remains careful during the raid, so the casino in my country is mostly in buildings like hotels and so on, maybe yes As you told gambling underground something fun adventure, maybe I will try if there is someday like the film John Malcovich.

Underground gambling exists only in countries that are not permitted, they don't care about regulation of gambling they just don't want their people to take part in any gambling activities.

Some people don't even know the damages that gambling has caused for many people, those countries that don't want gambling activities to exist in their country must have noticed the damaging part.

Whereas many other countries don't care, if it's bringing in some money they are ready for the consequences, they don't care about their citizens it seem, money is more important than the people.

I haven't played in a gambling den before but I know it exists. I wouldn't love to go to any undeground den to gamble since gambling is legal in my country and I prefer playing online than offline since it gives me the comfort and entertainment I desire. Such places are for highly business men who are shady and don't want people to know.

If such place exist in my country, it will be a black spot for the government, only if they're also in support of the business since government cares more about getting money and not the consequences of gambling in such place.

Most of this underground gambling usually operates without license that’s why they are doing it privately to hide. It’s not about country forbid gambling or not rather if they only allow gambling on regulated casino.

Underground gambling exist because shady operators doesn’t want to acquire license and pay taxes with their operations.

Gambling is not totally forbidden in my country but still there’s some illegal operators on backyard gambling because acquiring license is expensive for a small gambling operation.

I have never played in an underground casino, but I have heard many stories in my neighborhood that there are some in establishments such as bakeries and clothing stores, disguised by false walls. I do not know if this is true, but I do not doubt that they do exist. Since physical casinos were banned here, many underground casinos have been discovered and closed.

Such places are called clandestine casinos are are present mainly in countries where gambling isn't legal. However, they aren't exactly like the movies display them. Clandestine casinos are attended by common citizens, especially elders, who just want to get out of boredom. These houses are usually friendly to the customers, while not allowing underage gamblers inside (probably that is the deal with authorities in order to have permission to operate).

Now due to the online gambling phenomenon, the tendency is that clandestine betting shops lose popularity, while many of them can even disappear from the market.

Actually I have  heard things like that both from movies and real life. In my country there have been rumors of illegal gambling sites getting busted and there’s always talk about some type of protection from higherups which makes it much more murky. I haven’t played in one personally but I know folks who’ve gotten engaged and it’s risky business. It’s kind of crazy how these covert setups genuinely exist just like in the movies.

I haven't really seen things like this in my country because gambling is legal here...The idea I have about underground gambling is that they are been ran by crime bosses and some people in that particular country that are powerful but yet criminals..I don't think that people go there to gamble on games slots, cards and the normal casino games, doing such a thing underground means they engage in unethical things

I have not heard of any such underground gambling or raiding of casinos to get hold of gamblers. Gambling is very legal in my country. The only action that could warrant such a raid and mass arrest is if the authorities have gotten a clue that the casino is involved in criminal activities and is disguised as a gambling company, or if some criminals are patronizing a particular casino and disguising themselves as gamblers. However, gambling is highly regulated in my country, so most of these measures are put in place to reduce the rate of criminal activities in casinos.

I have never played in an underground casino before, i don't see any reason to, gambling is legal in my country and i only play in licensed gambling operators. However, there are a lot of unlicensed gambling operators that collect rake and commission from players, these services will be closed down by the government if they are discovered, though the large ones are run by criminal groups and it makes it harder to detect them.

No I haven't but there are a lot of underground gambling hub in many cities of our country and they only cater to VIP's and big businessmen, we're not into these two categories so we can't play here you need to pass to get in and they only accept big bettor.
The only underground gambling I play on are the guerilla type gambling in our neighborhood they are done on our neighborhood and you can only get in if you part of the neighborhood, this is to protect the place from getting raided by the authorities.

No, I haven’t tried, and I don’t want to try either. I don’t want to see myself getting raided one day, that would be embarrassing on my part. Even playing cards in our community is now prohibited. If you’re caught by authorities, you’ll pay a fine and end up with a police record. You’ll also need to attend some court hearing or lecture, something like that. But local peryas are protected by authorities here in our country. They pay a good amount to be able to operate and avoid getting raided.

also in my country is legal but the problem is a limit of age that will partake on gambling in my country, before you participate in the gambling you be above 18 years that has been the rules, but currently I have seen that such rules is no longer effective because of things that happens in the gambling, everyone can access gambling with network, secondly not all casinos that is supported in every country, they are some casinos platform that have restrictions in some countries not access some casinos

I never visited such casinos, but know that there are several in my city. And i know that lots of people know about it. So it seems that someone protect it, of course we don`t know who is it.
PS. I read in news, that such casinos was closed two times for last year with police.

Yes that's actually true, it is not only in countries where gambling is officially prohibited by the government. Apart from government prohibiting gambling, there is likelyhood that Gambler will surely creat an underground gambling hideout where they could be able to bet one on one to spend their money without government interference.

You don't need to think twice if they do exist in your country or not, because surely they do exist  just that you may not know the spots where it is done. Since it's a secret hideout for gambling.

You are actually right about this because in my environment the only hideout gambling which of course can as well be referred to underground gambling are that of the illegal gambling activities which are more of face to face gambling, people tend to hide and have this gambling done in other not to attract unnecessary attention from the public and government authorities because they are illegal and have no license to operate and in most instance guys indulging in this kind of gambling are usually in to some hard drugs and they are always on the run from government agencies.

From what I perceived from those movies is underground gambling is always illegal because some activities are bet under the lifes of people and most times this people are government properties like prisoners etc.

Most time even in a country where gambling is legal, underground gambling centres might still exist because they carry out illegal activities that claims the life of people. I can remember vividly on a movie that it's either you fight or you die or even fit to survive and this gambles are part of the rules that in government regulations that life's much be protected.

Hence it could still exist in the popular areas but are secretive.

More than likely, they are operating illegally, hence, being in the underground. Because if it is legal, they will open this to the public for more bettors. So yes, they have their reasons why it is underground. And I believe, a lot of it are still happening today. Because there are still gamblers who are continuously patronizing this kind of set-up. They can earn money without tax, for one. And they are not governed by any legalities whatsoever. However, they don't have the freedom to open it for public consumption so only few groups can really join in such events.

These are the last business that anyone should ever join. In certain nations this could be also a serious offence and people could risk jail.
Meanwhile there is interaction with something not legal and all relative problems. I don't know if this is really worth the risk...
We are seeing how it's difficult handle issues with "registered" crypto casino, imagine how to resolve a dispute in underground gambling.
I will not expect any easy settlement. ::)

Under dogs is another form of games that is not too popular because of their impact on the fighter sometimes their afflict physical injuries on themselves, so for sure it makes no much sense to allow such form of gambling, although people bet on them but the reality is too horrible and messy to the point that the essence of gambling which is to have fun become almost defeated when you see brutal scene all over the ring

Since this form of gambling is illegal, they are not subjected to tax. Most people will engage in it because of the financial benefits. They don't care about going to jail because they are blinded by the high returns. These underground casinos can be highly exploitative since aggrieved bettors cannot report them to relevant authorities. There is a saying that "he that goes to equality must go with clean hands". You cannot report an illegal activity when you are also guilty of the same offense.

Even though I have not experienced gambling under ground I do know that such places exists a the most disturbing one is organized sport betting in global sport gambling where people will manipulate the results of an events before the start of that event this has become a big business as organized match fixing has become a big business in today's sporting events

You are right, because it is an illegal act, most times police normally go there to arrest those that are involved on the underground gaming, sometimes you don't even have to be involved, if you are found in that place you will be w victim.
However, I haven't bet on the underground bet before and I don't know where it it, but I actually know that it exist in my country.

Honestly this type of things are so common in movies. Usually right there are those underground fighting dens in which people can bet on. It is very common in action movies lol. But if you watched the x-men movies, you will also see how people would bet while watching two people fight right in front of them.

This does not even seem the worst to be honest. Like I said in movies there have been a lot of events where betting on real people fighting was heavily portrayed. I would not be surprised if things like that actually happened in real life.

The problem with underground gambling is that it is UNREGULATED by any government institution.

Now you may ask, what is the implication if a gambling casino is underground and unregulated? Well, you run the risk of having your winnings being hold for whatever reason they may find. Let's say you just won the jackpot at one of their games, that casino can illegally withhold your winnings and void them for any random reason. Since the gambling platform is underground, you cannot enforce your action in court which makes everything complicated.

Personally, I have yet to encounter an underground gambling platform in my country. Though I do fully believe that there exists one, I most certainly would avoid it given the risks that are associated with it.

Definitely it do exist on which it will be usually be into those places or countries on which it do prohibits out gambling or totally banning it out but this isnt always the case because there in our country despite on having no ban about gambling but still there are some businesses which turned out to be illegally operating on which the government are trying out to suppress them down but there were reports or cases that the main reason that it cant be completely eradicated because there were officials in the government are that protecting it on which just like on what we are seeing in movies then it could actually happen in real life which we do know that government does always want to have some piece out of those revenues and thats why they would be wanting up to regulate everything as they could and specially gambling on which we know that this is really that generating that bigger income or revenue on which they shouldnt be missing it out. The places are actually existing but of course its not something that could be finding out until it would be leaked out.

I dont have any experiences on going into these places because I do always have that kind of fear to get raided or being that getting imprisoned just because you've been that dealing up with illegal things.
I do rather go into those physical places on which you could be having that peace of mind if you do want to deal up with something that in connection with casino games or even playing up poker.
For those who do wanted up to deal up with these places then always put up into your mind that there's always the possibility that on getting caught and if you cant be able to bare up such risks then its better not to deal up with it on the first place. Illegal places do being created just because people/owners doesnt really want to give up some share into the government like paying up taxes or similar.

Underground gambling is considered illegal and if you walk into such places you'd have yourself to blame for any mishaps that might come to you. Remember it's an underground so it means that criminals and thugs can be there. What do you think will happen if you try to walk away with your wins? You might end up getting kidnapped or worse. If gambling isn't legal in your country then just forget about it.

I haven't played in any of them, but I know that there were some in existence long time ago near where I live. So everyone in that neighborhood knows what's up with that illegal and underground gambling.

Until now, I don't want to get in there because who know,s some agents are going to report it. And by the time that I am there, the raid happens then that's embarrassing.

We've got online casinos already and so, I won't bother going to one of them or if I want to go to a physical casino, I'll choose the common ones that are legal.

This things do still happen, there is an illegal club that I once attended, it's more like underground club. it had it's entrance inside of a shop or a clothing shop (boutique) only the invite or people with some kind of recognition can go in because if you attempt going in you only find yourself in the clothing shop but if you're recognised, they will open a secret door. hence I believe this is exactly how this underground gambling still operates in the cities, to crown it all there is a police check point ahead of this club but no one comes with a car in so it's not known to them or maybe they are part for the club employees.

By your definition of underground gambling it has to be a secret place operated by people who have links with government officials that helps keep the secret. Well, in school that year my seniors will snick to one side of the room and gamble on a local game we call whot, back then our matron help keep it a secrets as it is against the rules of the academic institution. I think, gambling shouldn't be done in secret places, it should be relaxed and entertaining not fearful and been vigilant.

This was a serious issue before in our country where there are a lot of underground gambling casino established by illegal foreign nationals. The operation lasted for a year I think and they can't be stopped easily since high-ranking government officials are protecting it since they are paid by those foreign nationals. It only got stopped when our national governnent intervene to it and start banning those underground casinos and deported the foreign nationals.


These underground gambling den in our country operated online. They only hire employees for their live games but a player can't actually go to their site. They are cautious of being raided by authorities and police assets.

And you're basically paying protection money for that. I think that's just how it works, especially when the operation is big because without protection from the authorities, it could easily be exposed.

They probably feel it's better this way than paying taxes, since taxes could be higher and the government would constantly monitor them.
But of course, it always comes with risk.

So if you’re someone who’s willing to take that risk, then maybe this kind of setup is something that could work for you.

That's a pretty wild question. Places like that, arenas or gambling dens, are usually illegal and prime targets for law enforcement raids, so information about them is very limited. If someone does know about them, they're likely regular high stakes bettors, involved in money laundering, or even members of the syndicate itself.

I doubt any of us here have firsthand experience with that, unless someone actually does, which is a whole different story.

unfortunately we know that this kind of thing really happens

there are many dirty and corrupt authorities even sometimes politicians are the ones running these underground businesses themselves or they partake on it so im sure they do things to protect the operation
i don’t think it’s just about taxes mate

underground gambling usually has some illegal stuff that you can’t bet normally on in registered casinos

That's for sure,  although in my country gambling is allowed but even as that, there are many places that people still gamble behind closed doors or in private places where people Gamble and have fun. It could be card game or checkers. They feel so convenient in this gambling than the online casino or gambling game because it deals with physical Cash betting where the winner takes all the cash contributed. In every country there is always that kind of secret gambling with or without government laws. And this people can be very violent at any slightly provocation. I wouldn't advice anyone or my friend to gamble underground because it takes life when the rival start. It is best they gamble online or offline casino than involve in underground gambling.

Underground gamblings are mainly found in countries where the laws restricts or bans gambling as a whole. Otherwise who wants to run his gambling company in a cloak except they are carrying out some illegal practices that doesn't align with the gambling laws in the country.

It's undeniable truth that there's no underground gambling location that one top security official in the state wouldn't be aware about but they are either making some severance pay from it operation and probably be covering or leaking info about when there could be a possible raids by security agencies.

Now thats quite interesting. Its like a little elite club. Hush hush secret spot vibes. I dig it. Reminds me of that one movie with will ferrel more recent its called like the house always wins or something stupid like that. Anyways, how cool would it be to just park in this like off chute spot and walk over a street through a shopping plaza go into some secret pathways and bam you're in like this stellar secret spot that hardly anyone knows about it and if you do know about it you're cool. That would be fun. I don't know how you get to be a part of those lol.

As for underground gambling, it is simply a reaction to stupid and senseless bans. In my opinion, gambling should not be banned, it should be regulated and made more civilized. There is a significant need for gambling in many countries, if not all. And banning gambling is somewhat similar to banning abortions or everyday drugs like alcohol or nicotine. If there is a ban on legal abortions, they will be done illegally and for a lot of money and in terrible conditions. If gambling is banned, it will arise in an underground form, without even primitive regulation, and there will definitely be elements of fraud.

Thanks yahoo for sharing your thoughts, perhaps the right term could be "private" and not underground. But when I was a little I've heard stories of underground or private games being played at night and the people who runs it obviously takes a rake from the pot sort of protection money.

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Yes, I understand from the replies that there are countries that allows gambling. But still though, even here it is allowed, however, the stigma still persists that there are a lot of underground gambling and only a few people are allowed and the money pot is in the millions. So it's a thriving business for those people and probably that's one reason why there are still a lot of them in existence, I reckon.

We can imagine some other gambling games, those games where bets are made on some events that are not quite normal for ordinary people. Sometimes rich people are so sophisticated in their desires, and they get bored with ordinary gambling that they can play for things that will never be in a regular casino. A business, an island, any real estate—you can think of dozens of things that could be a prize, and playing for such things will be quite attractive to some rich people, despite the cost and legality.

I have never played in a secret underground gambling den. Moreover, I have never heard anything about the existence of such establishments in my country.

In my country, off-line casinos officially exist, they are just located in special regional economic zones. At the same time, anyone can come, for example, to Sochi, to the mountain village of Krasnaya Polyana and play roulette or slot machines there.

I am afraid to play in secret underground off-line casinos. After all, such establishments are usually opened by bandits and racketeers. For example, I recently watched the famous cult English film "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". The owner of the underground casino promised to cut off all the fingers of the hero of the film who lost in poker.

Why get involved in such dangerous adventures? It is much better to play in official licensed casinos.

Illegal gambling should be avoided in any way and in any field for two fundamental reasons.
1. You are dealing with people who are not very recommendable
2. You have no type of protection
Gambling by nature puts your capital and the person at risk, not having even a minimum of protection makes things highly
risky, to obtain what?
I don't see any type of facilitation in gambling illegally!

You're spouting off movies, that give a dramatized and glamorized version of underground poker cash games that are built for entertainment, then comparing them with actual illegal poker games that got shut down? Hollywood makes stories on interesting topics that they think will bring in lots of viewers, the first movie you're talking about is called rounders  and it probably made a lot of money. It's like comparing fast and the furious to actual car heist operations, there will be some similarities but it's probably quiet far apart from the real version. Cash games are often quiet long and drawn out, yet you just see a very shortened version of that. The sopranos actually gave an interesting take of what it's really like and how many people get into debt in these backroom card games.

Well said. If any unethical activities are created in any gambling hall or gambling environment, then it can be assumed that a syndicate or a fraud ring has infiltrated it. Such unethical activities are not possible by any real gambler. Real gamblers love their game very much, because I think no real gambler wants any kind of disorder to be created in the game. And those who are syndicates create traps for cheating because their main purpose is to cheat others. Cheaters always look for such a fun environment where they can easily take advantage of their interests.

There are underground gambling dens in most countries. Part of the underground culture running in South East Asian countries and European ones as well.

Certain bars and pubs run them where I live too but these are usually marked poorly by common people and never visited by gentlemen because of the notion that gentlemen dont gamble.

These places also end up being drug dealing locations and escort services.

I don't hear underground casino here but I believe that is existed especially for those who often gambling. The existence of the casino itself will be far from the government radar because they can hide their business from public. But if that is a local gambling places, I hear and see that is exist although I am not playing gambling on that place. Many people playing traditional gambling games and different than in the casino. People who often to that place will say about the house while other people who gamble on that place will understand what its mean ;D

I think that playing in such places is even more dangerous, because since it is an underground casino, in case of any disputes you definitely will not be able to get any help there. Maybe for someone it seems cool if you know about such places and have access to them, but for me it seems even more risky. I feel like these kinds of casinos might not play completely fair, and in such places it is very unlikely that you will walk out with your winnings.

Of course! If you are the owner of the casino you must pay protection money to keep the place running. Both parties has to come to an agreement but however, you need to be play smart. In school that year, my seniors would pay money to the matron like I said earlier, no matter how little the money is they still take it to keep the activity going on inside a little secret. Not even the next block student knows what is going on there, except from few students who participate from other blocks.

Gambling is legal in our country, and there are stiff penalties for illegal gambling, so I prefer to play on a legal gambling platform. Still, in rural areas folks have tradition of cock fighting and they do it in the fields which is illegal because no permits are coming from the authorities and its nto supervised.

Underground gambling has a big attraction to bad people because of the illegal transactions they can conduct on an underground gambling platform.
People should stay away from underground gambling platforms if gambling is legal, because there are fines if you are caught playing here.

As you said, underground gambling has its own charm. That's what attracts players to come there even though they know the risks and penalties if caught.
In countries that don't allow gambling, such places are not without supervision. But actually they pay some people who have the power to protect their business. That's why underground gambling places are actually hard to close down.

I completely agree with you. The ban on gambling is a crazy mentality of the administration of that country. Maybe they can find an effective way to control gambling or consider some designated points for gambling where gamblers can go for entertainment. I also agree with you that the ban on gambling may lead to a more aggressive tendency of gamblers to gamble. There is a common saying in society that people have an eternal inclination towards forbidden things and they become excessively interested in doing so and create more negative effects for the society.

The example given with gambling and abortion and alcohol may be a bad example for any stage but what I consider is that secrecy is one kind of context for a country and prohibition is another kind of context where the extent of fraud in a country and the scope of increase or decrease.

I see people commenting that it exists where gambling is prohibited but it exists almost everywhere only because the gamblers don't want to pay taxes and there's high rollers involved here too if they want to launder their money made from other sources or simply it offers more exclusive games that we can never witness in common life. Might be I am influenced after watching Squid games but it's real, in some middle eastern cities where these things are prohibited but made available due to the demand.

Correct, underground gambling is run mostly by syndicates that use this operation to gain profit without paying taxes and at the same time deal with other illegal goods.

There’s a recent issue in my country about this underground gambling called POGO, they have license in the surface operation but they have other illegal services such as human trafficking, drugs and many more that happening behind.

I have not played any underground gambling but I know that they exist in my country because I have been invited to participate in one before but I do not like to associate myself with illegal things therefore I stayed away from the invitation. I think just like in the movies, that is how it is happening in the real world. Every illegal activities going on in the society have protection from people who are in the government because without that protection, the government can easily find those committing this crimes and punish them. This is why I avoid illegal things because you can be used as the escape goat while the real culprit of the crime is left to live a normal life because they have been paying their dues to the corrupt government officials.

I think I have heard once in local news that police has raided illegal casino and confiscated money and drugs. I have never seen underground gambling games, never even though about searching for it, but I am sure that every country, every city have it. It is not something big, probably a flat less than 50 or 100 people from whole city knows about and visit. I dont think it is very popular, when we have online gambling accessible from any part of the world. It is just a bunch of guys gamble at some place.

It is what it is, and to be honest even government officials aware of those activities but they will be paid to keep their mouth shut on regular basis, once in a while there will be some news about looking for them but it is not really possible to stop them as long as we have the corrupt judicial system where we can buy the judgement in favour of us with legal loopholes and even if there's no way there will be a pawn to go down instead of the real one, we see those in movies but that is happening in reality too.

Not only the judiciary system, but it started at the executive system.  Most of the corrupt officials are from this branch, since they enforce the law, to be able to not reach the judiciary branch, people who are in the executive branch are then bribed by these syndicates.

These corrupt officials under the executive branch are only forced to act when the media makes too much noise about illegal activity.  And once the news dies down, they will not pursue the case and continue receiving payrolls from these illegal activities.

Most countries who ban gambling are countries where the citizen are mostly Muslims, in Islam, gambling is prohibited. Either you gamble for fun or gamble for money, both of them are forbidden.

The polices might catch the employees instead of someone who willing to stay in jail, the big boss will be free because he can pay as much as he can. Once again, money can buy everything.

Probably why nobody really knows about these places too! Everyone who wins gets the shit kicked out of them and then they dont do anything about it and never go back too scared to tell anyone Probably

Gambling is not illegal in Serbia, but as in many places, gambling is like a sin and should not be practiced. Now people are not as religious as before, so we have more casinos than schools (that's bad by the way, so bad), but before it wasn't like that... There have always been private games, and betting behind closed doors, small & smoked rooms in some alleys. I guess I can say it was like some underground gambling den, but it wasn't illegal, it was just not socially accepted.

It was mostly in some ordinary houses, scattered around the town. In some rooms there were pinball machines, table football and that... and in some rooms behind there were machines. These were poker & slots, which were very few at the time, and if I remember correctly they were some fruit machines. The people were mostly the same...

And then a boom happened and the gambling industry started to grow... now we gamble online with crypto! Who would have thought... :)

The MeBit team which runs the Primdice/stake sites are having offices in Serbia. I dont think it is with religion but making ends meet. The people working in the offices get employment which is a good thing for them making a living by themselves.

There is an entire office system behind every casino that most players will overlook when not looking for the big picture and only what they are playing with.

However theses are casinos that are functioning with the AML/KYC system of the country and not underground. Underground casinos are running in many shady areas because they dont like to come under government regulations.

In my city, the fight against illegal casinos lasted for several years. It was possible to close almost all the establishments where slot machines were installed. Then they were replaced by banal computers, which were also installed in small halls. And people also gathered. Who was hindered by this business? Most likely, those who wanted to get much more than just taxation, but were refused. So everything turned out in this way. Is this good or bad? I do not have a clear answer to this question. Everything should be considered in more detail not only from the legal side, but also from the practical side.

I would never put my foot into an illegal underground gambling den. I don't want to deal with mobsters and criminals. I prefer wasting my money on a sketchy online casino than visiting such place in person. I agree with you and many forum members, that such places for underground gambling do exist in almost every country around the world, but I'm sure that the organizers of illegal gambling events try their best to keep it a secret. This is either a place, where mobsters are trying to sqeeze as much money as possible from their victims, or a way for a bunch of rich people to play poker without having to visit licensed casinos.

Those countries that banned gambling or make gambling illegal in their countries, it make gamblers in such countries not to be comfortable in their gambling system, because they know the punishment that will follow when they are caught with such act.  Underground gambling is not suitable like when gambling is officially legal in your country because there is nothing like fear than to gamble openly for other people to know the source of your income.

I have not watch the video but I have heard about such story in some countries, which is not encouraging for gamblers to gamble in such manner.

I dont think we have an underground culture representative here on the forum :D And a smart person would never go down in such den of evil on his own. Every person has an access to hundred and thousands of online casinos. Why would someone in clear mind prefer underground gambling, when gambling is already a risk and a test for nerves system. Underground casinos exist only "for their own" kind of people and I think such people are far from the internet, online or offline gambling, and normal people.

This is one of the many reasons why many online casinos (even not very recommendable ones) are popping up online.
People feel safer, in reality from a certain point of view they are.
Not so much from an economic point of view, but at least they don't risk being attacked or threatened!
The most fun gambling games are still played at home with a group of friends to spend the evening in company (this is the only clandestine game I would accept).

Underground gambling is something I've never seen or participated in here in my country, I only see such type of gambling in movies and it's always appears to be very brutal, it's not always about gambling alone but also a place where survival is for the fitness and strongest most of the time according to how movies portray it.

I've never thought about the real existence of such places in real life, in fact, i always have believe that such places only exist in movies and I still do till this very moment until I maybe see one in real life, but then, even if such a thing as underground gambling exists for real, I will never participate in such, because it doesn't just put your money at risk, your life as well is at risk in there.

Underground gambling for me looks like a place where not matter how lucky, skilled you are, you will still get robbed or cheated. A place where you come, voluntarily give your money and leave place with a debt. From the movies we could learn, that vising such place never end well.

When we have cryptocurrency and anonymous payments, digitalization, I dont know who would go to a place like that. Legalization of illegal money are not set on stream, and its easier to turn illegal money to crypto and gamble online, than visit underground casino.

It does exist but it's barely noticeable and most of them are poker rooms where people can play higher odds and between them rather than in a casino.
Compared to how widespread gambling is in legalized areas, gambling outside regulated entities hovers between 5% and 10% in Europe for example and this includes online casinos, meaning that anyone who plays on an online casino that has no licenses for example in Germany, is considered to be gambling illegally.

It makes little sense anyhow, back then it was unlicensed, you could go to prison, you didn't have that many options, nowadays you do it for what?
Money laundering? Doesn't work as the money you get is still dirty! High stakes or anonymity? Just go to an online bookie and play with crypto!
Avoid taxes? Lol, you think illegal bookies don't charge extra on every bet for the risk they take?

Yes, it is very common in countries or regions where gambling is prohibited, but that does not mean that places where gambling is legal cannot be raided when the need arises. We have seen residential homes raided when there is suspected criminal activity going on there. The same can also be done to regulated casinos that allow criminals to use their facilities to perpetrate scams and other illegal activities.

I have not seen any such incidents myself, but I believe that such arrests or raids are done quietly and not violently like we see in the movies.

I think that players from criminal circles can play there safely, that is, there is an atmosphere and probably a corresponding clientele. And if a player from outside their circle somehow gets there, they will clean him out, then give him a credit limit, which he will also lose there, at least that is the impression I have about such places. And for ordinary people, entry to such establishments is most likely closed, and access there is possible only by invitation. But these are just my guesses.

Yes it can happen, if there's proven evidences that direct officials to raid such places then it will be done, though undergound places like this are orchestrated by influencial people and not easy to locate but they are not exempt to whatever rules or laws that being implied to everyone, as long as there's prooft and they'll be caught on the act they are not exempted being arrested.

No personal experienced though as I'm not a fan of those kind of gambling activities as there's legal ways to play and enjoy.

No, I have never partaken in underground gambling, and honestly I don't see any reason to do so when there are so many legal alternatives within crypto casinos which allows us to have fun without risking to get to jail or get raided for whatever reason...
Those underground facilities in which people gamble are likely common in countries like the United States and the European Union and usually feature events which are illegal in those developed countries and regions, like cockfighting, dogfighting and fighting clubs which do not comply with the basic measures of security or registration in the eyes of authorities.

My advice would be never to get involved in those kind of establishments and not to get underground, one is never sure on the price to be paid and they problems one could get into from it.

I heard that in the country where I live now there are a lot of underground casinos. This is due to the fact that the casino pays huge amounts of money to the state for excess profits, and any casino would like to avoid these taxes. Many gamblers easily find these casinos through telegram groups, and that is why there are visitors there.
I myself know about these hidden casinos from the news, sometimes on TV and on the Internet they say that another casino was found, and it was hiding under the guise of a bar.

Even if we say that underground gambling is illegal, but knowing the fact that it’s protected by a big politician or businessman, that will still be untouchable by the government. I guess this is not just happening in a single country but majority of the countries are into it.

However, honestly speaking, I have never been into an underground gambling. But I would really want to try if there’s one here in our country. But it’s still a lot better to enter into a gambling casino that is licensed and legalized one, rather than risking in an illegal casino.

There is no way such operation will last, the type of crime operations that last long are those that can be done by one person, secrets can be avoided compare to some hidden places where many people visits, even the visitors can be one of the betrayal to lead the law enforcement agents back to the location for few amount of money.

I don't know why people still visits such casinos this days when they can just do this online using regulated gambling platforms with no problem.

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If you are in a country where the law doesn't permit for gambling I recommend you avoid gambling, if you get arrested in the process you already know what's coming next, avoid becoming a scape goat.

I agree with you, it is better to stay as far away from an illegal casino as possible, look, gambling is completely illegal in my country, and because gambling is illegal in our country, there are no physical casinos, even if there are physical casinos running their business secretly, they are caught by the police very quickly. in general, I see that physical casinos are strictly prohibited, not only physical casinos but also online and all types of gambling are prohibited in our country, but gambling is very common in our country, all gamblers gamble only in online casinos, and everyone is secret in their own way. However, in countries where physical casinos are legal, you should only go to only that legal casinos, it is better to gamble in online casinos than to go to illegal casinos.

Without being precise about what the business men and politicians do behind the gaming room, it's assumable that they also create games that the general gambling community won't be aware of, and only a few selected dignitaries could be allowed access. They'll make too much money and yet remain secret and untraced for years.

Check out Molly’s Game. This is what it is about as well and is a good movie.

Personally I wouldn’t take part in something like an underground gambling ring as a participant. In my younger days I could’ve seen myself starting something like this, but that’s just how my mind works. Better to be the house than the customer.

You overestimate the justice system. Even caught sometimes, bribery still exists. Unless the case is explicitly open to the public not everyone will know what actually happened and would have any complaints about it.
Those who enjoy this kind of gambling most likely are very rich people that are actually kinda crazy and are willing to commit other crimes in the name of gambling. I believe those people give a bad image to gambling in general. Now most think that gamblers are money-hungry addicts, alcoholics and ill tempered people. When in reality the average gambler is probably just as normal as any other non gambler.

And I think that added the enigma of underground gambling as something secretive and if you have been a part of it or even played on this kind of places, it's going to be a very difference experience for gamblers and I think this is one thrills for us as well.

I remember a scene in 21 wherein the actor was tested under pressure and so he was advise to go to a underground place and played and then they put a sack on his head and test him if he can still remember his card count. Perhaps that's what the atmosphere on some of those underground casinos.

I don't think they are that cinematic, there will certainly be riffraff, but with the word clandestine or illegal they make it seem like something they are not, in my opinion they are just places where people gather to play, in places where the law doesn't allow it and they make it seem like something dangerous, when inside there will only be people playing

So you are totally not afraid to never get out of that underground casino? There are no money in the world that will lure me into such place. One thing is gambling with friends or someone you at least saw several times around. Totally different is gambling against complete strangers and do that in illegal casino. You never know what is in opponent mind. I think getting punched in face for bluffing or winning in such place is common.

It’s definitely a different atmosphere and one thing for sure is not regulated.

What’s interesting about underground casinos is that you can dress however you want, and as long as you have money, you’re welcome. If you bet big, you're treated like a VIP - no questions asked. And who hasn’t seen the movie 21, right? That was such a good film all about card counting. I believe it still happens today, but with advanced cameras and tech, patterns of winning can be tracked, and in the long run, you might get exposed.

That’s why doing it in an underground casino is super risky.. you never know, you could end up in serious trouble… or worse...

That was a stereotype that entrenched the belief in the minds of people of how dangerous and menacing gambling could be. I watched a lot of such movies growing up. Yes, I used to think one needed to be in bad company, cult, or be a gangster to participate in gambling. Everyone who wore nice suits and gambled was a mafia in my innocent eyes. How funny that thought sounds now, with all that I've come to know. Maybe then, it was for outlaws and no-goods.

No, I haven't and I don't think I  will try it. I hate enclosed space. It makes me feel trapped and that's not what the famed detective writer, James Hadley Chase, would advise.

But we are not sure if that is true or not, maybe the representation is wrong and they just added something to make it dramatic.

That is also the same with landbase casinos, as far as I know there is no dress code there, at least look decent, smells good, no flipflops or open shoes then you are all good. Even if you bet big you are not going to be treated as VIP as there is a separated room for VIP in a casinos, just to let you know.

I do agree, you really don't know what's inside, and who knows, maybe the first time you go there, there might be operations and you might be caught by the police. So there is a big risk and for some of us, we don't like to take that.

If card counting was really that profitable, people would be using it all the time. I've read article about it, it isnt as complicated as it sounds. Good memory and lots of practice is a key. Look how gambling is developed now, parallel gambling, card counters would be developing also, mastering that method, closing down casinos. Since card counting method was invented and used, number of gamblers has grown  numerous times. Number of this method users also would have increased (as all the info is in free access), but we dont have card counter in every casino, behind every table. Which makes me think that this method isnt that profitable, and casinos have learned how to protect from it. And using card counting method in underground, and usually heavily illegal, casino is a suicide mission :D

I always get the feeling that it is criminals and tough guys that engage in underground gambling and if you are not like that you will not have the mind to go to such places to gamble. I never liked to get into trouble with the law or be in a place where fights can start and people can easily get harmed and robbed. I don't think that gamblers will be patronizing underground gambling dens like before because modern gambling have become popular and you can walk into a physical casino or bet outlet to gamble. Also online gambling has totally changed the narrative of gambling that you can engage in it anywhere that have internet connection, so underground gambling can remain for people that are into undergroundor secret operations..

In our place in the province, there is a gambling lottery game that is happening everyday. Its besides the Official Lottery that we used to heard. This one is like a small known gambling but everybody knows its prohibited. The only reason its being conducted cause the owner od that one is influential person or probably got some ties in the Government there. Well its not allowed but due to the closeness to the Government (Bribe for sure) its being allowed. What a nonsense undergound event.

Most of those places if you have influence especially if you can bribe politicians of police officials you can facilatate illegal business like this, as even people/gamblers knows about it they will continue to encourage those kind of underground illegal gambling, as losng as they can please/fill the needs for gambling it won't matter what they wanted is to gamble and try some luck to make money..though most of the time they lose it.

I wish I know people involved in underground gambling, especially poker. Here in Japan basivally everything is illegal except for Pachinko, horse racing and other racing related stuff.
There are some "poker clubs" where people basically "gamble" with play money, not exactly sure how that works. Last weekend I was with some fellow Germans in Tokyo and one of them told me about some venues that offer poker, but you have to have a recommendation and stuff, so it's not easy. Also the limits are really high, like 3k-5k buyin, that's too much for me anyway.
Yet I would love to find some smaller games here, as hard as it is.

Have never heard of under ground gambling and if I am not mistakenly this could be applied to the country where they sees gambling as an illegal activities or is totally prohibited From gambling. As I know, my country doesn't prohibited gambling rather anyone gambling should gamble responsibly. Between my first time of hearing there is an underground gambling where people goes to gamble without the knowledge of their State or government authority to know about this type of place except you were called and gives a direction to come such place to gamble.

I was always interested to observe about underground gambling only in films, but in real life I am not very interesting, of course, of course, if someone wants to risk it is his business. But in films such as Molly's Game, it looked very interesting, I liked it and I would have watched it again. Probably in some countries, something similar exists in reality, although in most countries the world is definitely prohibited.

Actually, for underground gambling to happen it does not necessarily takes for a state or jurisdiction to ban it from Public spaces or ban it altogether, you know. There is underground gambling even in places and countries where gambling is allowed, but regulated.
Here in my country you can walk into a casino and gamble as much as you carry with you at the moment, but there are underground places and facilities which are not licensed, do not pay taxes and are hidden from plain sight where people go to gamble, either because there are some features/machines/games which other casinos do not have or because those who go to those locations want to conceal their gambling activities and the money they spend/win thanks to gambling.
There must be underground gambling even in a city like Las Vegas.

I think there is huge risks for gamblers to gamble at underground gambling den that provides entertainment for gambling as you never knew if the gambling equipment used at those places are truly provably fair for the gamblers. I once saw a video about a deck of poker cards being marked with some sort of invisible ink and people will not be able to see those marks with their naked eyes. The marked invisible ink will only appear on the cards when special contact lens are put on, and it would allow people to know whatever cards their opponent has in their hands at a poker game.

You could be right because I don't think we have underground gambling in my state, since the most common gambling over here is sport betting, is popular over here than any other forms of gambling. Casinos aren't that preferred over here except for those who gambles online, we began to pick more interest as online casinos are being launched and also having varieties of games that would interest people the more. Maybe it could be that there is something we are missing over here we don't know that we need to know completely.

These underground gambling platforms are popular in countries where gambling is banned. Since people don't have any other option, they would want to take the risk of gambling on these illegal platforms. Even when they have observed that the games are not fair, they might still continue gambling since they have limited choices.

I am also concerned about raids or arrests by law enforcement officers like the policies. Since these gambling platforms are illegal, the police might be raiding the venue periodically to arrest illegal gamblers. In this situation, the ideal option is to stop gambling or use privacy tools to access online gambling.

I went to an underground gambling once and familiarized. The situation there was such that the gamblers there were mostly high class. They probably operated outside the supervision of the administration and the amount of financial transactions was incredible. I felt helpless due to the financial constraints and the small amount of money allocated. I think the amount of illegal money and transactions there were so high that it was almost impossible to imagine for people with such small incomes. I did not decide to go a second time because the underground dens were more crowded with elite gamblers and I think they were not being fair to themselves.

Even though gambling is legal in my country, there are prevalence of underground gambling sites. The problem with official gambling sites are they are taxed heavily both to the operators and any winners. The operators need to pay for a license and any money they make while gamblers don't pay any more when they lose but when they win, a hefty portion of it goes to the government. To add to this, there are several restrictions and regulations that make legal gambling unattractive to both players and operators.
That's why they open underground gambling place. These setup even though illegal operates with high ethics, sometimes they do have problem with police so no heavy and expensive tables and items are kept on them. But they mostly have protection of the community and its rare for gamblers to expose such places.

Considering the risks involved,I think this is the worst kind of gambling anyone should be into.Gamblers and casino owners are liable to face jail terms or even heavily charged to pay fines.
Responsible gamblers don't partake in underground gambling as the case may be individuals with high addictive personality who have exhausted their legal gambling regulations are usually fans of underground gambling.

Gambling is illegal in Iran, but there are luxurious underground casinos fully equipped for card games. Interestingly, many famous athletes, artists, and even politicians—who publicly condemn gambling—can often be seen in these underground venues.

I have been to illegal casinos several times and, to be honest, I didn't really like it there because of the crowd that gathers in such places. In my opinion, going to illegal casinos carries an increased risk for the average gambler, as you can't count on help from others in such places. And as we all know, a controversial situation can arise anywhere. Therefore, I would not recommend anyone to visit illegal casinos alone. Take your friends with you, because you always need to be prepared for the situation to get out of control.

I agree with you, it is never right to go alone to such illegal and risky places, because illegal casinos are usually visited by bad people most of the time, where they will come to you on their own and get into arguments, and if you are alone there, that group of bad people can also physically harm you. Also, when you get a big win in these casinos, and when you withdraw that win and take it and going to home, they can seize any opportunity and forcefully take all the money from you, even acts like kidnapping can happen, these are certainly possible. So going alone to casinos is never a right thing to do, anything can happen to you there, so your greatest strength is "taking your friends with you". Because in times of any kind of danger, only friends help the most.

Why are people still visiting illegal gambling casinos when we have many casinos available on the net where we can seat comfortably at home and gamble as much as we like. People like taking risks and to them gambling isn't enough risk. They now want to be in a midst of criminals and rough people gambling because that makes it a whole new experience. This is a bit risky because alot to things that we can't imagine might take place at such places and when you're cut in one, it becomes a problem. Underground gambling are all over the world because we have thugs in different countries. Underground gambling should be more common in countries that are underdeveloped and also have stricks history of government restrictions on gambling.

But now there are not too many and illegal gambling is spread online and many gamblers just use illegal gambling online easily.

Not a backward country but a small country that is still developing, and gambling regulations are certainly very strict and strictly prohibited.
But behind all these regulations, there are many gambling practices that occur and are easier to access.

Offline gambling in some places may only happen in certain places such as in nightclubs and some places in small alleys,
which does allow a group of people to gamble with whatever bets they want.

People who still visit offline gambling because of the different atmosphere and will certainly give its own euphoria compared to online gambling.

One cannot deny Sharia law is heavily applied in Iran, as it is a Islamic republic. I would have expected some small underground casinos to exist there, out of the knowledge of authorities in charge of prosecuting any behavior which goes against their religion, but what you are claiming goes far beyond that and it would implicitly involve high authorities within the regime of Iran, because some big underground and luxurious casino cannot keep and stay hidden alone.Would you care to share where you got that information from? Are you from Iran and you have personally heard about these rumors?

If you have some news articles to support those things you are saying, I would be glad if you shared them with us, as it would be quite a big scandal for a Islamic regime to be unmasked as keeper of gambling places and facilities, while punishing those in their common population who wished to gamble.

Yes, I live in Iran. Forty-six years ago, when a major uprising occurred in Iran and the country fell into the hands of Shiite Islamists, activities such as playing backgammon and even chess carried severe punishments. But now, there are official federations for both chess and backgammon operating in Iran. Before the COVID pandemic, I had a travel agency in one of the wealthiest parts of Tehran, and many officials and their children were my clients.

During Ahmadinejad’s presidency, a large sum of money went missing from the National Olympic Committee. At the exact same time, the son of the president of Iran’s Olympic Committee, along with five others, purchased a travel package to Northern Cyprus from me. While there, through our local tour guide, they were taken to one of the major casinos in Cyprus, where they lost over $800,000 in one night.

Yes, in Iran, the operation of underground and online casinos is not possible without the regime’s support. Let me give you a simple example: there is an online casino operating in Iran where, in addition to cryptocurrency, financial transactions are conducted using the regular bank cards of the Islamic Republic. These casinos have been active for over 15 years. Do you really think such an operation could exist without regime support?

Sharia law is a good tool to deceive the ignorant masses, but fortunately, the new generation of Iranians no longer falls for these lies, and soon, major changes will take place in Iran.

I remember winning big at one of the land-based casinos in my city. I will never forget the greedy looks I got from the other gamblers as I left. Even though I was gambling at a legal casino in the city center, I had to call a taxi and go to a friend's house, where a party was going on at the time. I can't even imagine how scary it would be to leave an illegal casino with a big win somewhere in the backyards of a rough neighborhood.

It is not necessarily related to the legality of gambling in a country. It is not so simple, and there are many more cases. There are countries where gambling is allowed buy primarily or only in regulated establishments which need to acquire a license. In this case, there are underground gambling groups which do not have a license and playing for money under those situations is illegal even though gambling is legal in the same country.

Where the enforcement of such laws is strict, operation of underground gambling for a long time is not possible without somebody's support. That does not necessarily mean the regime itself as is the case in Iran, but it could be local police or other government workers who get paid to look the other way.

Underground gambling is an offence because it's something illegal...the risk of getting caught is very high, there are people that can give out informations to the feds and the results can get very messy.. It's more preferable to gamble from the comfort of your home with a VPN or anything that can enable access gambling, this is also risky but comparing it to going in an underground environment where other illegal things are being done isn't advisable

For sure, the clubs does the most concealed illicit gambling, and it's far from being regulated. The highest being snooker gambling found at almost every clubhouse in my locality. Bets are wagered locally with a board man serving as a referee and the holder of the funds until the end of the game. It's without control and most people lose millions in the process.

I believe several other unregulated gambling practices existed in different nooks and crannies of the neighborhood.

Without those big names being involved or having something to do with that place, it will be hard for an ordinary citizen without any government backup to pull off something like that, knowing the implications if they are caught, and if somehow they get exposed and the officials who are not part of the deal for getting that underground gambling running happen to notice, the place will be shut down, and it will be hard for the owner of the place to be tracked down.

Most times in almost all societies of the world today the law works strictly on the poor citizens while the very influential and wealthy connected men can always have their way to go around it. It's not just a thing about Iran. Check all the countries where gambling is banned and as a result there exists an underground gambling centre, it's the high and mighty in that society you will find there gambling and not the less privileged because before you could actually have access into it you'll be thoroughly profiled if you fit the standard base on your status.

Extremely wealthy people are the ones usually capable of running these underground businesses and when you are rich, you have connections which is why you would often see politicians or celebrities go here. People are hypocrites and you would see one’s true self when they have money and the capability to buy or avail anything they desire.

Yes, without the support of influential figures within legal authorities, it's impossible to operate underground casinos. I'm not referring to small friendly gatherings of 10 or 15 people playing cards on the weekend. What I mean are real establishments where millions of dollars can easily exchange hands in a single night.

They won't even dare to operate if there's no one behind that have influnece inside the goverment or milatary operation in that location, I guess no one will deal with such illegal activities without some big figures help, like what you said it will be easy for the government to track the identity of those people behind if they are not being helped by a influencial figures, either a local politician or a chief or in high position ranks that can easily cover if something being reported against the underground gambling activities.

In my understanding, such underground gambling is obviously illegal gambling, it may be as strict as the ban on casinos in their countries.

Furthermore, even though gambling is available in other countries and there are still people who will operate gambling illegally because there are still many gamblers who are addicted and will find a way so that they can still gamble. Just don't let the authorities catch them because they already know when they will be caught.

One thing about the underground gambling activities done in countries where gambling is legal is they don't want to pay right taxes.
With that having said, there is a big portion that the profits of these places going to the taxes and the owners and partners who runs it doesn't want to pay them.
And so, they choose to hide in the shadows and want to run for as long as they can until they are busted. These are also possible syndicates or organized crime groups from those local places.

When you do have the money then you can almost have in everything or whatever the things that would be on your mind then you can actually do it or something that you can obtain it or simply just that everything is possible since you are financially capable on which this is that very understandable. The sad thing on here is that the protectors of these underground gambling places are the ones who are sitting on the top ranking or positions of the government on which is the main reason on why these places are heavily protected and cant be easily taken down or being raided just because they have been that protected and its not that shocking considering those officials is on the position for them to impose laws on which there will be exemptions into those things on which they do want or like to be exempted but of course in exchange on getting some commissions or having those bonuses and thats how this shit works on which we do only see on movies but actually it do happen in real life.

For those countries on which it does have that ban in gambling then we do have these called undergrounds on which everything could be possible and those syndicates are the ones who do ran off these places and just like been said or mentioned above that as long you do have the money then you can almost have everything and could possibly be able to ran on if you do want. We do know that despite of having those ban and prohibition but still there would be those people who do want or likes to hang out with these places and isnt that scared for them to get caught specially if there would be some assurance that it wouldnt be easily happening since its been protected in the first place.

Clandestine gambling shouldn't exist, but it does thanks to the poor management of the governments of some countries who think they control everything Clandestine games, when they are "normal" games, seem fine to me, because each of us has the right to decide how to have fun. But when things are done that go against human or animal rights, that's wrong in my opinion.

In my city, because gambling is prohibited by the government, there are several underground gambling places operating, ranging from luxurious buildings to large-scale cockfighting gambling places, which have been operating for a long time without ever being raided by the government. Maybe many people wonder why the government doesn't raid these places even though many people already know about these places, because the places are guarded by military police and backed by officials equivalent to senators. And if you enter this place you will be asked who you got in from.. so this is really a safe place to do illegal gambling. I don't really know what the conditions are like inside these places, but from what I heard that there you can not only gamble, but also get women and drugs. So these places are indeed quite dangerous, especially for ordinary people.

To the country where gambling is banned: their government uses excuses like gambling promoting crime and overspending by their citizens or because it's against their majority religion beliefs, which shouldn't be so.

Everyone is supposed to be given free will to decide how they want to use their money, and if possible, an agency should be set up to monitor citizens' gambling habits. Rather than banning it, they don't know that the more you try to obstruct things, that's how the citizens will look for possible ways to satisfy themselves.

The fact that there's huge amount of money in terms of facilatating underground gambling, that's where those corrupt officials/politicians are involve, if not all are being own by those personalities most of them are protectors that's why this kind of illegal business do exist, like what you have said, free will that should be provided and allow people to choose if how they wanted to be entertained, though they just need to monitor and put rules to prevent heavy addictions resulting to some crimes that might be cause of gambling participation.

Most of these underground casinos are owned by billionaires and prestigious men, and these men has all it takes to get government approval (secretly) to operate without any form of interference by the government or the police. Even if they ever get bursted, they'll still know how to get themselves out and continue their business without disturbance.

You watch movie too much. Not a single billionaire would risk his reputation and ass doing something that is so illegal as underground gambling. Why would a billionaire even organize an underground casino? Because he wants to save on license, play illegally and scam people? All that because he needs even more money? Sound ridiculous. Or you think that billionaires use underground casinos for money laundering? Silly. Billionaires life are under supervision, as everyone wants to take a bite of their wealth :D

Imho underground casinos are organized by not very rich people. And the goal of such casino is to exist is to accept anything as a bet. Kinda pawn shop with gambling features. Place where nobody ask questions and anything (no matter how it was obtained) that has a value is accepted as a bet.