Edmonton... The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission's Gaming Investigation Team, with assistance from the Edmonton Police Service, executed a search warrant on an illegal gaming house at 10580-116 Street late Wednesday evening. Three people are being charged with operating a common gaming house and nine are being charged with playing poker or being present inside a common gaming house.

Both charges are pending under Section 201 of the Criminal Code. All accused are scheduled to appear in court April 26, 2006.

"This raid, and the subsequent charges, are the result of an undercover operation that began in September," said Lou Hudon, Director of Investigations, Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC). " Stopping illegal gaming is important because these illegal activities take money away from Alberta charities."

According to the Criminal Code, legal gaming activities can only be operated and licensed by the province including charitable gaming activities such as casinos, bingo, pull-tickets and raffles. Alberta's charitable gaming model is in place to ensure charities and communities benefit from gaming activities.

Any gaming not operated or licensed by the province is illegal. A few examples of illegal gaming include bookmaking and operating a common gaming house, which takes a rake from unlicensed casino games such as poker, blackjack and baccarat.

"Playing poker in private homes or clubs is not illegal unless the house or the group hosting the poker game profits from the game," said Hudon. "It is the commercial aspect of the game that contravenes criminal law."

Penalties vary depending on the nature of the charge and whether or not it was an offence under the Criminal Code or the Gaming and Liquor Act. Penalties range from fines to imprisonment. When an offence occurs in a licensed premise, the AGLC has the authority to fine the licensee or cancel the licence.

In an effort to combat illegal gaming and other criminal activities, the AGLC established the Gaming Investigation Team in 2001. The team is comprised of AGLC investigators, police forces and other government ministries. Last year, the team worked on 52 investigations around the province and laid a total of 11 criminal charges. These investigations focus on the more serious commercial gaming operations including bookmaking, gaming houses and illegal lotteries.

Robyn Cochrane
Alberta Gaming, Communications
(780) 447-8741

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