New Jersey councilman arrested in illegal online gambling investigation
New Jersey councilman Anand Shah is among 39 people who have been detained due to links to racketeering, money laundering, and illegal gambling operations in the state.
Authorities concluded a two-year investigation into Shar and others for running illegal poker rooms and acting as third parties for players wanting to bet on illegal online sportsbooks.
Some members of the illegal gambling organization, known as ‘agents,’ signed up with sportsbooks licensed outside the US and placed bets for customers on these platforms.
Only online sports betting platforms licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement can operate legally in New Jersey.
Agents took a portion of bets from customers as a fee for operating this service. A release from New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin named Shah as a sportsbook agent.
As a part of the investigation, authorities raided four poker clubs in Garfield, Totowa, and Woodland, finding two clubs with backroom poker games hidden within restaurants. During these raids, police found US$3 million in criminal proceeds.
New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan commented, “Criminal enterprises like this pose a serious threat to the safety and well-being of our communities, driving illegal gambling, money laundering, and racketeering operations that value profit over people. Thanks to our detectives’ tireless work and unwavering commitment, this operation was successfully dismantled – sending a strong message that we will not tolerate this kind of criminal activity in New Jersey.”
Shah has served as the councilman for Prospect Park for two terms and is facing re-election later in 2025.
The illegal gambling operations are linked to the Lucchese crime family, which has been involved in unlawful activities in New Jersey and New York since the 1920s.
