Police Raid Manchester Illegal Gambling Operation and Seize £20,000 Cash

Police have arrested four people following a series of raids linked to suspected illegal gambling in Manchester city centre.

Greater Manchester Police carried out four warrants and enforcement operations across Deansgate and the city centre on Monday night. This operation ran alongside help from the UK Gambling Commission and Manchester City Council.

Officers recovered gambling tables, records, account books and mobile phones from the premises. More than £20,000 in cash was also seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

However, police have not said that the cash represents the value of the gambling operation or gambling takings. Instead, GMP says the money is believed to have been laundered.

Of the four people arrested, only one was specifically arrested on suspicion of offences relating to illegal gambling.

Four Arrests Made During Manchester Raids

Police said two men were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.

A third man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and breaching the Gambling Act by allegedly providing facilities for gambling without authority.

The fourth was arrested on suspicion of licensing offences relating to the operation of a late-night takeaway without the appropriate licence.

All four remained in police custody when GMP announced the arrests on Tuesday.

While the operation did centre on reports of illegal gambling premises, police have not accused all four people arrested of running or participating in an illegal gambling operation.

Previous Gambling Raid Led Police to Latest Premises

Crucially, the investigation did not begin this week. GMP says intelligence used to conduct the four latest warrants was developed following another illegal gambling operation in Manchester back in May.

During that raid, police, UK Gambling Commission enforcement officials and Manchester City Council officers entered premises on Chester Road. There, officers discovered gambling tables and chips alongside account books, records, cash, alcohol and mobile phones.

The phones appear to have proved particularly useful. Police say information recovered from devices seized during the May operation contributed to the intelligence behind Monday night's warrants.

Two people arrested following the earlier raid, Wing Suet Mak and Tsz To Kwok, were subsequently charged. They are due to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court on September 29 charged with using premises to operate a casino and selling alcohol without a licence.

What Does 'Providing Facilities for Gambling Without Authority' Mean?

Under the Gambling Act 2005, businesses and individuals need the appropriate authorisation to provide gambling facilities in Great Britain.

Providing gambling facilities without the necessary operating licence, permit or other legal authorisation can amount to a criminal offence.

That includes physical gambling operations as well as certain forms of remote gambling.

Licensed gambling premises are subject to rules designed to protect consumers and prevent gambling being used for criminal purposes. This means that an illegal gambling operation can sit entirely outside that regulatory system.

The Gambling Commission has increasingly linked its work against the illegal gambling market with wider concerns around financial crime. Its 2026 assessment of money laundering risks said this kind of illegal gambling is linked to both generating money and laundering it.

Gambling Commission Targets Illegal Operations

Gambling Commission Executive Director of Operations Sue Young said unlicensed gambling businesses can also have links to other forms of criminality.

‘Unlicensed operators often have links to wider criminal activity, exploit vulnerable people and undermine legitimate regulated businesses.’.

The regulator therefore continues to work alongside police forces and local authorities when suspected physical gambling operations are identified.

Police say further intelligence opportunities have already been identified following Monday night's raids, suggesting the investigation may not end with these four arrests.