FloridaSummary:

  • Agents seized 90 machines and $142,020 at Action Arcade
  • The Zoo Sports Club and Grille had 73 machines and $105,265 in cash seized
  • The FGCC says it has now shut down more than 200 illegal arcades across Florida

The body responsible for preserving “the integrity of gaming through fair regulation, licensing, and enforcement”, the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) continues its crackdown on illegal gambling.

The state regulator is currently targeting retail locations it claims have been operating in the form of illicit gambling houses.

In its latest enforcement action, the FGCC worked with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco to execute search warrants at two locations in St. Petersburg.

The operation, dubbed “Operation Final Spin” targeted Action Arcade and Zoo Sports Club and Grille.

At Action Arcade, agents seized 90 machines and $142,020 in cash. Two people were issued notices to appear, with each facing one count of possession of slot machines and one count of keeping a gambling house.

At The Zoo, agents seized another 73 machines and $105,265 in cash. One person was issued a notice to appear and faces one count of possession of slot machines and one count of being an agent or employee of a gambling house.

“The Machines Take Advantage of People”

The enforcement action involved FGCC Vice Chair Tina Repp and Republican state Representative Berny Jacques.

These machines are designed to take advantage of people, and far too often that means senior citizens living on fixed incomes who can least afford to lose what they have. Removing 163 machines and nearly $250,000 in cash from these operators is about protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.

Repp said the latest operation was part of a wider effort by the commission to shut down illegal gaming operations across Florida.

Operation Final Spin and the more than 200 illegal arcades we have shut down before this, should make it clear that our goal is to disrupt and dismantle illegal gaming across the state of Florida

About the Author

Author Sadonna Price has been part of the online casino industry for over a decade, watching it develop and expand across the US. She enjoys playing online slots and table games, as well as Texas Hold’em.