Bet, bath and beyond
Markham mansion scene ‘was out of a James Bond movie,’ police remarked
York police say illegal casino operation housed in 53-room Markham mansion was like something ‘out of a James Bond movie,’
There are still plenty of underground gambling spots in the GTA, but extreme high rollers will have trouble finding a replacement for a recently busted Markham casino where they were served expensive wine and forbidden delicacies like brazed shark fins by waiters in tuxedos while placing their wagers, police say.
“This was a high-end operation for high-end clientele,” Det. Sgt. Ahmad Salhia of the York Regional Police organized crime bureau said Thursday, after police announced they had shuttered a Markham mansion that had been converted into an illegal luxury casino.
“A lot of the guys were saying, ‘This was out of a James Bond movie,’ ” Salhia said about the July 27 raid on the operation on Decourcy Court near Warden Avenue and Major MacKenzie Drive.
At Thursday’s press conference, Supt. Mike Slack of York Regional Police said illegal gambling spots had prospered after the province closed legal casinos over COVID-19 fears.
“It opened up an opportunity for these more extravagant locations,” Slack said. “There’s still a lot more for us (to do). There’s an extremely large number of them.”
While most local illegal gambling spots have five to 10 patrons at a time, the Markham mansion could handle hundreds of invitation-only, moneyed bettors, Slack said.
The mansion was surrounded by a high, electronically-controlled metal fence and patrolled by armed guards with German shepherd dogs.
There were also hidden compartments in some of the walls of the 53-room, cut-stone mansion, York police’s Salhia said.
The 92 tactical officers from the York, OPP and Durham forces had to rush the gated property quickly so that evidence wouldn’t be destroyed, Salhia added.
“We try to get them in the act of gambling with money in hand. Swift entry is imperative. The element of surprise was very important.”
Surveillance from a helicopter allowed police to plan their entry carefully. “The helicopter was essential,” Salhia said.
It helped that two of the guards were playfighting when they were supposed to be watching for police or attackers from rival gambling organizations or street gangs.
Eleven guns were seized in the mansion, police said. No humans or guard dogs were injured in the operation, police said.
Salhia said York police have raided almost a half dozen smaller gambling spots since the Decourcy Court raid in July.
Illegal gambling spots are run by a variety of crime groups, including old-school mobsters and bikers, Slack said.
Mob-run places in cafés often feature poker machines, while the Markham luxury casino catered to clients interested in baccarat, mah-jong and slot machines.
Some gambling operations run out of hotels on an invitation-only basis.
Now that some legal casinos are reopening, Slack said he thinks some illegal gamblers will take their business to the legal spots.
However, high-security illegal casinos like the one in Markham allow organized criminals to make contacts in a comfortable environment, Slack said.
The Markham mansion’s invitation-only policy made it extremely tough for undercover officers to get into the gated facility, Slack said. “What they’re trying to prevent absolutely is undercover officers.”
There was $1 million found in a safe at the mansion, where gamblers could risk $20,000 on a single spin of the wheel.
“You can imagine what’s going to the house from that,” Slack said.
He added that police have been in contact with the Canada Revenue Agency, which will do its own separate probe.
A spokesperson for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), which regulates legal gambling casinos, declined to comment on whether the limited reopening of some establishments in the province might hurt criminal operations.
“While we often support lawenforcement agencies, we are not able to offer any comment on the implications and how that impacts legal casinos,” spokesperson Raymond Kahnert said in an email.
“With respect to the pandemic, the AGCO has been proactively working with casino operators for some weeks to prepare for reopening so that, when the time is right, casinos can get back to business in a safe and responsible way.”
In June, biker Rob Barletta, a former North Toronto Hells Angel from London, Ont., was charged in an illegal gambling bust.
Barletta, who has served as president of the London and Niagara Region charters of the outlaw biker club, was also arrested with 30 others at a Platinum Super Bowl party at a Markham banquet hall in February 2013, attended by more than 2,000 gamblers. The party featured door prizes such as jet skis and big-screen TVs.
York Region mobsters worked with Hells Angels in a gambling operation called Platinum SportsBook, which was busted in 2013 and used a website based on servers in Costa Rica.
While most local illegal gambling spots have five to 10 patrons at a time, the Markham mansion could handle hundreds of invitation-only, moneyed bettors