UK police make arrests over alleged illegal casino
The Gambling Commission took part in an operation against an alleged illegal casino in Bristol.
UK.- Two people have been arrested and later released on bail after police carried out an operation against an alleged illegal casino in Bristol. While the raid was conducted on July 10, the Gambling Commission only revealed details today.
The operation was conducted by officers from the Harbourside Neighbourhood Policing Team, the Gambling Commission, and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU). Authorities executed a search warrant at premises on Lower College Street, detaining a 36‑year‑old man and a 40‑year‑old woman on suspicion of gambling offences. Both have been released on bail while investigations continue.
Sergeant Michael Friis of the Harbourside team underscored the importance of public cooperation in tackling such cases. “Community intelligence plays a vital role in tackling criminal activity and keeping our neighbourhoods safe,” he said. “We encourage anyone who has concerns about suspicious or illegal activity in their area to continue reporting it to the police.”
Increased enforcement against illegal land-based gambling in the UK
The latest case adds to a growing list of enforcement actions targeting illegal land-based gambling in the UK. Earlier in the month, police arrested eight people following raids on two suspected illegal gambling venues in Doncaster.
Operation Snaresbrook involved the Gambling Commission, Immigration Enforcement, South Yorkshire Police and the City of Doncaster Council’s trading standards and licensing teams. Police also seized £9,000 in cash and alleged evidence of unlawful gambling, including poker tables, slot machines and account books. Doncaster Council said one of the arrests related to a suspicion of offences under the Gambling Act 2005.
That case followed a raid on a suspected gambling den in Manchester in June in which a 33‑year‑old man and a 66‑year‑old woman were detained. At the time, Sue Young, the Commission’s executive director of operations, stressed: “Tackling all forms of illegal gambling is a focus for the Commission.”
In May, the Gambling Commission had pledged to step up its work to tackle illegal land-based gambling in Britain after it secured £26m in additional government funding over the next three years .
Meanwhile, new compliance rules came into force from yesterday (July 29), requiring licensed land-based gaming operators to remove gaming machines immediately if the regulator determines they lack the proper licence or fail to meet technical standards. The measure is designed to “streamline processes and ensure non-compliant machines are swiftly removed from premises”.
