Greece Casino Under Investigation Over Allegations Of Issuing Fake COVID Certificates

Summary

• Sting operation reveals Greek casino offering fake COVID certificates
• Casinos offering fake certificates to get more players to visit and play
• North Macedonia launches investigation into the matter

COVID-19 continues to be a problem in 2022 for countries around the world. With no proper solution being dished out, businesses around the world are frustrated and are sometimes resorting to illegal tactics to keep their business up and running.

Allegedly, at least one casino in Greece has been offering fake COVID certificates to encourage players to visit. This shocking situation was recently revealed by Greek media sources and has sparked an investigation by the Interior Ministry of North Macedonia.

Dojran Casino Issuing Fake COVID Certificates

The Interior Ministry has released a statement that they have heard the reports of fake COVID certificates being issued by a casino in Dojran, a town in North Macedonia, and are now investigating those allegations. A recent investigation by a journalist from Open TV station revealed that the casino was giving out false negative rapid tests so that gamblers could play at their premises.

Christos Nikolaidis broke the initial story after he visited the area. According to him, his interest was raised when he noticed an increase in COVID cases in the village of Kilkis which is on the Greek side of the border with North Macedonia. Nine residents were infected among forty-five inhabitants. They likely got the disease because they travelled to casinos in North Macedonia which exposed them to the disease.

The area around the border near Dojran and another nearby town, Gevgelija, has always been a big tourist spot because of the casinos in the area. Even with Omicron and COVID, the place is still a major party place for Greeks. According to reports, over 900 Greeks travelled to North Macedonia towards the end of 2021.

Media reports say that the casinos have been doing their best to bring visitors in. Some of them offered lottery tickets and free COVID tests. But it appears some of those tests were fake tests. This was revealed in a hidden camera video that showed casinos in the area not following strict COVID procedures.

Taking Action

North Macedonia is keen on taking action if these allegations are true. Mile Tasev, who heads the State Market Inspectorate for the area, says that the government is taking a close look at the facilities in the area. But they can’t check on the legality of the certificates, which is why the Interior Ministry has to intervene.

North Macedonia’s vaccine certificates are highly regarded since they match the EU’s digital certification program for vaccines. To protect this trustworthiness, fake COVID certificates are punished by either three years in prison or a big fine. The final report of the investigation will shed more light into the matter!