Illegal Poker Den in Cardiff Shut Down: Two Men Receive Suspended Sentences

A tip led to an investigation into suspected illegal gambling taking place in Splott, Cardiff. Agents with Tarian, accompanied by members of the UK Gambling Commission and other agencies, executed a search warrant and uncovered an illegal poker den at an industrial estate in Splott, Cardiff.

The criminal case involves a 29-year-old man from Pentwyn, Cardiff, and a 30-year-old man from Pontprennau, Cardiff, who organized illegal poker games and accumulated significant proceeds from the unlawful activity. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the country’s gambling watchdog, confirmed in a press release on Monday that the two men ran illegal poker games from an upstairs room located within a unit on an industrial estate in Splott, a residential and industrial district located in Cardiff.

An investigation uncovered that the duo operated the illegal gambling den between August 2022 and February 2024. In February 2024, UKGC representatives, together with HMRC, officers from Tarian, the Regional Organized Crime Unit (ROCU) and Cardiff Council’s Licensing Department, executed a search warrant on the industrial estate unit. Officers also searched the residential and business addresses of the 29-year-old and 30-year-old men. At the industrial unit, law enforcement found six poker tables, seating areas, and even a spinning prize wheel. The illegal gambling den also offered a range of drinks and snacks, police said.