The "gray" casino industry is taking advantage of crypto and other modern technologies to advance illegal goals.
A report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has warned that cryptocurrency is being misused in illicit economies developing in East and Southeast Asia. Crypto is being combined with the latest tech innovations as organized crime creates new, complex challenges for law enforcement, according to the report.
Poorly regulated or illicit casinos and “pig-butchering” romance scams have seen rapid growth in the Mekong Region, the report stated. These new economic models are highly sophisticated:
Another technique used by criminals is locating illegal gambling and scam operations in underregulated special economic zones and areas under the control of autonomous armed groups. A specialized travel industry has arisen around the casinos. So-called junket operators do more than just provide travel and accommodations:
