Two Men Sentenced After Running Illegal Cardiff Poker Den

^{Cardiff Central police station, South Wales Police. (Photo: Simon Cobb / Wikimedia Commons)}

Two men have been given suspended prison sentences for running an illegal poker den from an industrial unit in Cardiff, the Gambling Commission said on 5 October 2026.

Noor Rassam, 29, of Pentwyn, Cardiff, and Panayiotis Karayiannis, 30, of Pontprennau, Cardiff, ran unlicensed poker games from an upstairs room on an industrial estate in Splott between August 2022 and February 2024. The regulator said the premises had been fitted out with six poker tables, a spinning prize wheel, seating areas and fridges stocked with drinks and snacks.

Joint Raid Uncovered the Operation

The case was broken open in February 2024, when officers from Tarian, the regional organised crime unit for Wales, executed warrants at the industrial unit alongside residential and business addresses linked to the two men. Tarian worked with the Gambling Commission, HMRC and Cardiff Council's licensing department on the operation.

Both men admitted possessing and transferring criminal property under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. They were sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for three years. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing to determine what they must repay has been set for 9 April 2027.

In the Gambling Commission's public statement, Sue Young, its executive director of operations, said: "This case emerged after we received information about an illegal gambling den. 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," she added.

Detectives Point to Links With Organised Crime

Detective Constable Charles Lan of Tarian ROCU said in the statement that the pair "operated an illegal gambling business for their own financial gain, generating substantial profits which were never declared for tax purposes". He said the enterprise funded "a lavish lifestyle that included foreign holidays and other high-value spending", and that investigators found evidence the two men had promoted their games to people involved in serious criminality, including drug dealers and organised crime group members.

The Gambling Commission licenses every legal casino operating in Great Britain, and unlicensed operations like the Splott den fall entirely outside its consumer protections. Licensed venues are required to run background checks, identity verification and anti-money laundering controls that an illegal den has no obligation to follow, which is why enforcement teams treat these cases as a priority.

The Commission's enforcement unit has brought a steady run of illegal-gambling cases over the past two years, often uncovered through tip-offs from the public or from licensed operators reporting suspicious activity. The regulator's Illegal Markets Team has previously said tackling unlicensed gambling is a core part of its corporate strategy, comparing the cross-border supply chains and organised crime links in illegal gambling to those seen in other illicit markets such as counterfeit goods.

Players looking for a legal alternative can find licensed live dealer poker and casino games through operators regulated under UK law, which carry none of the legal risk attached to an unlicensed den.