Four Arrested and £20,000 Seized in Manchester Illegal Gambling Raids

^{Greater Manchester Police executed four warrants in Manchester city centre after reports of illegal gambling, seizing more than £20,000 in suspected laundered cash. (Photo: Roger A Smith / Wikimedia Commons)}

Greater Manchester Police arrested four men and seized more than £20,000 in suspected laundered cash after raiding four premises in Manchester city centre on the night of 21 September 2026, as part of a joint investigation into illegal gambling.

Officers from GMP's Manchester City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team executed the warrants in Deansgate and elsewhere in the city centre alongside the Gambling Commission and Manchester City Council's Licensing Team. Two men were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences, one man on suspicion of money laundering and breaching the Gambling Act by allegedly providing facilities for gambling without authority, and a fourth on suspicion of licensing offences linked to running a late-night takeaway without a licence.

Cash, Gambling Tables and Records Seized

Police recovered more than £20,000 in cash, which they believe had been laundered, under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Officers also seized mobile phones and a number of suspected gambling-related items, including gambling tables, records and account books.

All four men remained in police custody as of 22 September 2026. PC Nial Vivian, of GMP's Manchester City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, said the operation reflected the force's ongoing focus on unlicensed gambling premises.

'This work specifically targets reports of illegal gambling and premises operating without the appropriate licences. This joint approach demonstrates our continued ability to problem solve within the city, and the intelligence gathering and execution of four simultaneous warrants have led to these results,' PC Vivian said.

Second Joint Operation in Four Months

PC Vivian added that the raids delivered further leads. 'Four arrests were made, a significant amount of cash and further gambling-related items were recovered, and further intelligence opportunities have been identified. This was a good team effort involving Neighbourhood Policing officers and our partners at the Gambling Commission and Manchester City Council Licensing Team,' he said.

The operation follows a similar raid in May 2026, when GMP, the Gambling Commission and the council's licensing team searched a suspected illegal gambling den on Chester Road in Manchester city centre, arresting two people. That earlier action, confirmed in the Gambling Commission's own news release, provided intelligence that fed into this week's four warrants, according to police.

GMP said the case remains under investigation and that further action would follow where appropriate. Operators found to be offering gambling facilities without a licence in Great Britain, or otherwise assisting unlicensed operators, can face unlimited fines and imprisonment under the Gambling Act 2005; the Commission has separately suspended UK operator licences over money-laundering failings this year, including Victoria Gate Casino's licence in Leeds.

PC Vivian said the force intends to keep building on the intelligence gathered. 'As a force, we are working hard with our partners towards being at the forefront of tackling illegal gambling and associated organised criminality. We will continue to build on the intelligence and take further action where appropriate,' he said.