Illegal gaming operations — including one held in a lavish $9-million, 20,000-square-foot Markham mansion — prospered after the province shut down legal casinos because of COVID-19, police say.

“It opened up an opportunity for these more extravagant locations,” Supt. Mike Slack of York Regional Police said on Wednesday in front of a newly built stone residence on Decourcy Court near Warden Avenue and Major MacKenzie Drive.

His comments came after police announced they have arrested a husband and wife for allegedly running the multimillion-dollar gambling operation, as well as dozens of alleged gamblers.

Their arrests were part of a police operation called Project End Game, which also involved raids on residences in Toronto and Vaughan.

The gated, high-security Markham mansion had an extensive wine cellar and bar, kennels for German shepherd guard dogs, 32-foot high ceilings, 13 bathrooms, elevator, indoor pool and an eight-car garage, set on a lot of almost 2 acres.

Gamblers needed an invitation to attend and once inside, they could dine on illegal delicacies including shark fins from a chef’s kitchen, police said.

There was no social distancing or requirement to wear masks to ward off COVID-19 in the opulent illegal Markham gambling centre, Slack said.

“Human sex trafficking is also suspected and is under investigation,” Slack said.

Investigators with the York Regional Police Guns, Gangs and Drug Enforcement Unit said they seized 11 guns and more than $1 million in cash when they raided the mansion as part of a probe into illegal gaming and organized crime.

No one was injured in the July 23 raid, in which 92 tactical officers stormed the mansion.

Eleven firearms, including a loaded AR-15 assault rifle and .357 magnum revolver, more than $1 million in cash and $1.5 million in alcohol were seized, police said.

A planned raid a week earlier was called off at the last minute when helicopter surveillance showed there were a half dozen children on the premises, Slack said.

Deputy Chief Brian Bigras said gambling is far from being a victimless crime.

“It most often leads to increased violence,” Bigras said.

Charged with keeping a common gaming house, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm and selling liquor without a licence is Wei Wei, 52, of York Region, who police said was the owner of the operation.

His wife, Xiang Yue Chen, 48, was charged with keeping a common betting house, possession of proceeds of crime and selling liquor without a licence, as was their daughter, Chen Wei, 25.

Wei Dong, 32, who lived on the premises, was charged with multiple offences, including keeping a gaming house, 11 counts of unsafe storage of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm.

There were related raids staged by police on July 30 on Woodland Acres in Vaughan, in which three people were arrested and more than $70,000 cash were seized and at 3276 Midland Ave. in Toronto in which gaming equipment and more than $20,000 were seized, police said.

“The money moving through these underground casinos leads to huge profits for criminals that fund other ventures such as prostitution and drug trafficking,” York Region Police Chief Jim MacSween said in a prepared statement.

“This illegal high-stakes gambling also leads to gun violence, armed robberies, kidnappings, extortion and other serious violent offences within our community,” MacSween said.

Peter Edwards is a Toronto-based reporter primarily covering crime for the Star. Reach him by email at