Cardiff illegal poker operators receive suspended prison sentences

According to PokerNews, Noor Rassam and Panayiotis Karayiannis each received a three-year prison sentence, suspended for three years, at Cardiff Crown Court on October 2. Both admitted possessing and transferring criminal property under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

The publisher reports that the pair ran unlicensed live and online poker games between August 2022 and February 2024, collecting rake from players. A raid on their industrial premises in Splott, Cardiff, uncovered six poker tables, a cashier’s window and payment records.

Tarian regional organised crime investigators said some players accumulated debts to the organisers and that the operation lacked protections for vulnerable customers. PokerNews reports that a further hearing concerning money and assets connected to the case is scheduled for April 2027.