A months-long probe into an illegal gaming house in Saanich has ended with multiple criminal charges, after BC’s organized-crime task force seized cash, vehicles, and evidence linking the operation to a wider underground network.The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of BC (CFSEU-BC) said its Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team (JIGIT) began looking into the unlicensed gaming site in January 2024. Officers gathered extensive evidence showing several people were running and managing the operation inside the Saanich area.On August 8, 2024, police teams from CFSEU-BC, the Saanich Police Department, and the Victoria Police Department executed a series of coordinated search warrants in Saanich and Victoria. Fourteen people were arrested. Officers seized two poker tables, thousands of poker chips, electronic devices allegedly used by the gaming house operators, ledgers, tax paperwork, and about $17,000 in cash.Police also seized a 2024 Cadillac Lyriq, a 2020 Land Rover, and a 2014 Mercedes SL550, all treated as proceeds of crime. .Three additional warrants were executed on the vehicles as part of the wider investigation.After reviewing the file, the BC Prosecution Service approved charges on November 21, 2025, against 55-year-old Esquimalt resident Bryan William Toth. He is charged with keeping a common gaming house, possession of proceeds of crime, and money laundering. Toth turned himself in to police on November 26 and was released on conditions pending his next court date.“These results demonstrate our unwavering commitment to disrupting criminal enterprises operating in British Columbia,” said Sgt. Sarbjit K. Sangha of CFSEU-BC. She said illegal gaming houses are frequently linked to organized crime and vowed that officers will continue to pursue those who profit unlawfully.
