Over £20,000 seized in another UK illegal gambling operation

Greater Manchester Police recently carried out an enforcement operation targeting an illegal gambling operation in the city centre, resulting in a series of arrests and the seizure of over £20,000 ($26,470) in cash.

The action took place overnight on Monday, following the execution of four warrants in Deansgate and nearby locations. 

The raids in question

Four individuals were arrested during the raids. Two men were arrested on separate allegations: one on suspicion of money laundering and contravening the Gambling Act by providing unlicensed gambling facilities, and another for licensing offences associated with operating a late-night takeaway without the appropriate licence. 

Two women were also detained on suspicion of immigration offences. 

All four individuals remain in police custody as inquiries continue.

The targeted enforcement followed intelligence gathered during a previous gambling investigation in May 2024, including materials recovered from mobile phones seized in that earlier operation. 

Laundered money

In the most recent raids, officers confiscated additional mobile devices, gambling tables, detailed records and account books. The cash seized, totalling more than £20,000, is believed to be laundered money and was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

A recent GC money laundering assessment detailed a significant rise in illegal gambling activity, particularly across unregulated casinos operating without oversight and frequently accepting cryptoassets.

These illegal operations often serve as conduits for organised crime, facilitating both proceeds generation and money laundering. 

The UK government has allocated £26 million over three years to the Gambling Commission to intensify actions against illegal activity.

A team effort

“This work specifically targets reports of illegal gambling and premises operating without the appropriate licences,” said PC Nial Vivian of Manchester’s City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team. 

“This was a good team effort involving Neighbourhood Policing officers and our partners at the Gambling Commission and Manchester City Council Licensing Team,” he added, noting that the collaboration would lead to the identification of further intelligence leads

The Gambling Commission’s executive director of operations, Sue Young, reiterated concerns about unlicensed gambling operations.

“Unlicensed operators often have links to wider criminal activity, exploit vulnerable people and undermine legitimate regulated businesses,” she stated. 

Young emphasised the Commission’s commitment to working alongside the police to disrupt illegal gambling venues.

“And that is why we are always keen to work in partnership with the police to crack down on illegal operations,” she added.

Not the first rodeo

A similar raid was conducted in June of this year that once again combined the forces of both Manchester Police and the Gambling Commission. 

A 33‑year‑old man and a 66‑year‑old woman were detained on suspicion of offences under the Gambling Act 2005 and the Licensing Act 2003.

Police reported that gambling tables, chips, records, account books, alcohol and other material were found at the premises. Cash and mobile phones were seized. Specialist investigators from the force’s Financial Crime and Money Laundering teams are supporting the inquiry.

Just over county lines, South Yorkshire police confiscated over £110,000 in cash along with a substantial quantity of gold during coordinated raids targeting illegal gambling operations in Sheffield and Doncaster.