Two Sentenced Over Illegal Cardiff Poker Den
Two men have been given suspended prison sentences for running an illegal poker operation from an industrial unit in Cardiff, the UK Gambling Commission confirmed in a release published October 5.
Noor Rassam, 29, and Panayiotis Karayiannis, 30, ran illegal poker games between August 2022 and February 2024 from an upstairs room in Splott, fitted out with six poker tables, a spinning prize wheel, seating areas and fridges stocked with drinks and snacks, according to the Gambling Commission.
Raids Led By Regional Organised Crime Unit
In February 2024, officers from Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit, working alongside the Gambling Commission, HMRC and Cardiff Council's licensing department, executed warrants at the industrial unit and at residential and business addresses linked to the pair.
Both men admitted possessing and transferring criminal property under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and were sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for three years. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing to recover their profits is scheduled for April 9, 2027.
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'If You Run An Illegal Casino, You Will Be Caught'
"This case emerged after we received information about an illegal gambling den," said Sue Young, the Gambling Commission's Executive Director of Operations.
"The message is clear - if you run an illegal casino, there will be a tip off, you will be caught, and there will be significant consequences. We will continue to work with partners and take action against those who run illegal gambling operations in Great Britain."
Detective Constable Charles Lan of Tarian ROCU said the pair "operated an illegal gambling business for their own financial gain, generating substantial profits which were never declared for tax purposes and ultimately came at the expense of the wider public."
He added that their "criminal enterprise provided them with significant personal benefits, funding a lavish lifestyle that included foreign holidays and other high-value spending.” Investigators said the pair “actively promoted their poker games to individuals involved in serious criminality and even boasted about the presence of drug dealers and organised crime group members at their events."
Six Tables And A Prize Wheel
The Splott premises had been fitted out with six poker tables, a spinning prize wheel, seating areas, and fridges stocked with drinks and snacks - effectively replicating a licensed card room without any of the oversight, age verification or anti-money-laundering checks a real licence requires.
Anyone looking to play poker or casino games legally in the UK can find licensed UK online casino alternatives that hold a valid Gambling Commission licence, rather than risk an unregulated operation like the one Rassam and Karayiannis ran for roughly 18 months before they were caught.
The case was uncovered after the Commission received a tip-off about the den, and investigators were able to trace the men's addresses and finances through the subsequent Tarian-led operation, which also involved HMRC and Cardiff Council's licensing department executing simultaneous warrants across several sites linked to the pair.
