WSOP champion detained in Los Angeles by U.S. Immigration Police officers
July 27, 2026
One-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Gal Yifrach was detained on July 20. The Israeli professional was taken into custody at the Los Angeles airport by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. It is still unknown why the poker player was arrested and where he had flown in from to the United States. He is currently being held at an ICE detention center in Southern California.
Yifrach has been under investigation since 2022. He was charged with running an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to investigators, from January 2018 to January 2022, the professional supplied, operated, and serviced various technical devices for illegal games.
In addition, Yifrach is suspected of exchanging cash from an illegal casino for "clean" money, which he then invested in real estate and other purchases. One of the money-laundering methods involved exchanging the alleged proceeds from illegal gambling for chips at the Bell Gardens casino (California), and then exchanging those chips for checks that he deposited into his bank account.
After the charges were filed, Gal Yifrach was not held in custody and continued to play poker. The Israeli professional repeatedly took part in cash games at Hustler Casino Live and Live at the Bike. In 2025, he won the PokerStars North American Poker Tour main event with a $5,300 buy-in and earned $543,025. Yifrach claimed his only WSOP bracelet in 2018 in the $3,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em event, taking home $461,791 for that result. The regular's career live tournament winnings exceed $2.9 million.
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Yifrach has been under investigation since 2022. He was charged with running an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to investigators, from January 2018 to January 2022, the professional supplied, operated, and serviced various technical devices for illegal games.
In addition, Yifrach is suspected of exchanging cash from an illegal casino for "clean" money, which he then invested in real estate and other purchases. One of the money-laundering methods involved exchanging the alleged proceeds from illegal gambling for chips at the Bell Gardens casino (California), and then exchanging those chips for checks that he deposited into his bank account.
After the charges were filed, Gal Yifrach was not held in custody and continued to play poker. The Israeli professional repeatedly took part in cash games at Hustler Casino Live and Live at the Bike. In 2025, he won the PokerStars North American Poker Tour main event with a $5,300 buy-in and earned $543,025. Yifrach claimed his only WSOP bracelet in 2018 in the $3,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em event, taking home $461,791 for that result. The regular's career live tournament winnings exceed $2.9 million.
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