This I just cannot believe. What is going on?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-23036182

This has just been on the news, sounds like a biz rival with gnr mares to me. Most shocking is the fines for those not even playing, brutal miss application of the law and completely unjust. Pt tourist board should be ashamed and this has made me rethink about investing in pt.

As ever much over reaction from the " whiter than white " expat community.
On the face of it yes a gross over reaction by the GNR but the activity was illegal, gambling including Bingo for profit, it was taking place on commercial premises " a bar " were they giving the drink away , I doubt it.
This is not the first instance of expat bars offering Bingo or race nights for profit.
What was wrong is the action reportedly taken against the players.
If this is true then as a gesture of good faith the PT tourist authorities should refund any fines and expunge their records.
The bar owner has to stick by the local rules.

I do agree about the owner who after 8 years should know the rules & did seem fairly cheerful about the whole episode on the TV this morning. However the customers & "witnesses" were harshly treated IMHO. A warning would have been more appropriate. Across other forums & many facebook pages GNR has a poor reputation, deserved or not I can't tell, but this kind of thing doesn't encourage interaction with them when they might need help from the public.

Good PR for the bar bad PR for POrtugal.

I always view these reports with some cynism , many of us are still waiting for the expat who was " fined " for not having a receipt for a pack of ham to come forward with details !!!!

BBC not letting this go, they come back to it every hour & begin by saying PT police heavy handed. When you consider the fines raised cannot cover the cost of "weeks of surveillance" they should have just told the bar owner to desist or just fined her.

Point is it's bad PR for PT tourist industry.

The point is that this sort of thing and some of the other silly things that Portugal seems to have introduced is leading to untold damage to the tourist industry that they rely on so much to help them get out of their financial mess. If, like us you come back to Portugal year-on you will have noticed how much quieter things are even in the busy season. The industry is struggling anyway. Portugal is going to lose those who have the money to holiday by this heavy handed approach. It merely deserved a warning. Older visitors who like to spend the winters in warmer climates and who want to enjoy the company of others and the odd game of bingo will consider elsewhere. They will find the prospect of such intimidation frightening. Portuguese politicians have got to sort such rubbish out. It made BBC Yorkshire TV here today with one of the people from the bar - none the worst for the experience I am thankful to say.

Except they have a criminal record and could go to jail if they ever are witnesses again

You will probably find its another bar owner thats shopped them as they got the call from anon caller.

THe POrtuguese partner of the bar owner was interviewed on PT tV yesterday so ignorance of PT law is improbable. The bar had been under suspicion for some time so the game of Bingo was not a one off.
The prizes shown on PT tv by the Bar owner were expensive bottles of spirits, no cheap biscuits to be seen.
This dos not excuse the action taken against the customers but it is not as black and white as the UK media would suggest.

It is not only the GNR that can be said to be heavy handed.
BBC

No actual fining here from what I see. Surely a warning was all that was necessary for the bar owner and customers most of whom would not have had a clue about Portuguese law.

It should be retitled Bingo for Booze, apparently the owners did know about the law it is in the license to operate the bar but they thought that by not offering cash prizes they had found a loophole.
The sad thiing s that they will get loads of publicity and an increase in business. The only loosers the customers caught up in these events.

According to the Portugal News "The regulation of Portuguese gambling laws falls under the remit of the Government’s tourism bureau, Turismo de Portugal."

The article appears to show that this organisation has no problem with the raid, in fact supports it. So if they don't care what happens to innocent tourists no one else in the Pt government will.

Very much an own goal

[QUOTE=daisyman1951;10776623]According to the Portugal News "The regulation of Portuguese gambling laws falls under the remit of the Government’s tourism bureau, Tourisme Portugal."

The article appears to show that this organisation has no problem with the raid, in fact supports it. So if they don't care what happens to innocent tourists no one else in the Pt government will.

Very much an own goal[/QUOTE]

Yet another "self inflicted shot in the foot" for the Portuguese Tourist Industry