The house folds: Three men charged after illegal gambling investigation in Vancouver

Three people have now been charged after a multi-year investigation into illegal gambling by a specialized police agency in BC.

In October 2020, the Vancouver Police Department received a 9-1-1 call and was dispatched to a home in the 200 block of West 45th Ave.

When they arrived, there was apparently evidence consistent with an illegal gaming house.

The VPD engaged with the CFSEU-BC Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team, and search warrants were issued in relation to the investigation.

“Evidence gathered indicated that the Vancouver residence was being rented for the purpose of setting up and operating an alleged illegal gaming establishment,” the CFSEU-BC’s statement reads.

Three People Charged for Keeping an Illegal Gaming House.
Three people have now been charged after #CFSEUBC Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team (JIGIT) conducted an investigation into an illegal gaming house. https://t.co/tGARK6Hyq3 #CFSEUBC #JIGIT #illegalgaming pic.twitter.com/wRMwwyKPr9

— CFSEU-BC (@cfseubc) March 16, 2022

The search warrants resulted in a number of items being seized, including:

• Score sheets with client names and cash balance sheets
• Cellular phones
• Money counter
• $220,775.60 in Canadian cash
• Poker chips, poker tables and playing cards

Two people from Burnaby and one from Vancouver have now been charged with one count each of keeping a common gaming house contrary to section 201(1) of the Criminal Code.

Inspector Mandeep Mooker, Investigations Officer of the CFSEU-BC’s JIGIT, says the team targets illegal gaming “as a part of a coordinated, organized crime enforcement strategy in BC.”

He adds, “enforcement action such as this one has a strong immediate impact and long-term disruption implications.”

“Illegal gaming activities undermine the integrity of our financial institutions and allow criminals to secure the proceeds of crime not just for personal benefit but to fuel additional crimes,” he says.

You might also like:
• Fantasy Factory sex shops in Metro Vancouver raided by Health Canada
• Cash, guns, drugs: Police make a “significant” seizure in Coquitlam (PHOTOS)
• Drugs, cash, and gun with loaded mag seized by RCMP at Metrotown

Court dates for the men have not yet been set.