Two men handed suspended sentences over illegal Cardiff poker den
The Gambling Commission said two men have been sentenced after running an illegal poker operation from an industrial unit in Cardiff.
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Two men have been given suspended prison sentences for possessing and transferring criminal funds obtained through running illegal poker games in Cardiff, the Gambling Commission said on 5 October 2026.
The Commission said Noor Rassam and Panayiotis Karayiannis ran illegal poker games between August 2022 and February 2024 from an upstairs room within a unit on an industrial estate in Splott. According to the Commission, the premises had been fitted out with six poker tables, a spinning prize wheel, seating areas, and fridges stocked with drinks and snacks.
The Commission said that 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 as well as residential and business addresses linked to the two men.
Rassam, 29, from Pentwyn, Cardiff, and Karayiannis, 30, from Pontprennau, Cardiff, were sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for three years, the Commission said. Both men admitted to possessing criminal property and transferring criminal property, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The Commission said a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing has been set for 9 April 2027.
Sue Young, the Gambling Commission’s Executive Director of Operations, said the case emerged after the Commission received information about an illegal gambling den. She said: “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.”
The Commission said it will continue to work with partners and take action against those who run illegal gambling operations in Great Britain.