Four Arrested and £20,000 Seized as Police and the Gambling Commission Raid Suspected Illegal Gambling in Manchester

Greater Manchester Police, supported by the Gambling Commission and the city council's licensing team, executed four simultaneous warrants in Manchester city centre on Monday night. Gambling tables, records and account books were seized, and one man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and Gambling Act offences.

• Greater Manchester Police raided four properties in Manchester city centre on Monday night, supported by the Gambling Commission and Manchester City Council's licensing team, the Commission said on 23 September
• Officers seized mobile phones, gambling tables, records and account books, and recovered more than £20,000 in cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act
• Four people were arrested: one man on suspicion of money laundering and breaching the Gambling Act, one man on suspicion of running a late-night takeaway without a licence, and two women on suspicion of immigration offences
• The Commission's executive director of operations, Sue Young, said unlicensed operators "often have links to wider criminal activity, exploit vulnerable people and undermine legitimate regulated businesses"
• The statement does not say anyone has been charged; the arrests are on suspicion

Four Warrants, One Night

The operation took place in Manchester city centre on Monday, 21 September, according to the Gambling Commission's statement. Greater Manchester Police executed four warrants simultaneously, with the Commission and the council's licensing team in support. Officers seized mobile phones and gambling-related items, including gambling tables, records and account books, and recovered more than £20,000 in cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Of the four people arrested, one man was held on suspicion of money laundering and breaching the Gambling Act, according to the statement. The other arrests were for suspected offences outside gambling law: one man on suspicion of running a late-night takeaway without a licence, and two women on suspicion of immigration offences. The statement does not say whether any of those arrested have been charged or released.

PC Nial Vivian of the Manchester City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team said the work "specifically targets reports of illegal gambling and premises operating without the appropriate licences", and that further intelligence opportunities had been identified. Sue Young, the Commission's executive director of operations, said: "Unlicensed operators often have links to wider criminal activity, exploit vulnerable people and undermine legitimate regulated businesses. And that is why we are always keen to work in partnership with police to crack down on illegal operations."

Land-Based Illegal Gambling Is Where the Commission Needs the Police Most

The Commission's enforcement against the online black market in the United Kingdom runs largely through its own powers, from referrals to search engines to pressure on payment providers. An unlicensed card room or gaming venue is different: arresting suspects and executing search warrants needs the police, and licensing of premises sits with local councils. Monday's raids show that three-way model in operation, with the council's licensing team alongside. It sits alongside the Commission's own licensing action this month, including the suspension of an online bookmaker's licence over anti-money laundering failings on Monday.

The Money Laundering Arrest Is the One to Follow

Three of the four arrests concern immigration and licensing matters. The seizure of cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act and the arrest on suspicion of money laundering are what could turn a local licensing case into a financial crime prosecution. The police say further intelligence has been identified; whether it leads to charges will show the scale of what was found.

The raids were small in figures and local in reach. They are also a reminder that the illegal market the Commission talks about is not only online.