Stoyan Todorov January 3, 2025 2 min read

Florida Police Busts Another Illegal Gambling Operation

Police in Florida have busted another illegal gambling operation, arrested several suspects, and seized cash and gambling machines

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Florida has continued to crack down on illegal gambling, and although authorities have been vigilant, sprawling operations have continued to abound. One such illegal gambling ring was busted by a police officer recently just outside Orlando.

Illegal Gambling Crackdowns Continue in Florida

Officers descended on the location under the Lake County Sheriff’s Office operation that led to the seizure of $48,200 in cash from gambling proceedings generated from 125 slot machines found at the venue.

The operation, although small in scale, has led to the arrest of three people who were implicated in running the day-to-day management of the gambling venue, and who was subsequently charged with a misdemeanor.

This is hardly the only operation worth noting over the past several weeks. A much larger sting operation took place as part of the humorously dubbed “Fish & Chips” investigation conducted by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

The operation resulted in the arrest of 12 individuals and conducted a sophisticated operation that targeted 10 venues suspected to be a part of the sprawling illegal gambling network in the first place.

A total of 263 illegal gambling machines were seized and $2.5 million in cash was found on the locations. Another $1.7 million worth of luxury vehicles worth $1.7 million and other assets worth $1.2 million were also seized by the police and investigators.

Volusia and Brevard Counties Casino Raids

Florida’s gambling operations are mostly limited to tribal operations, and since recently, the Hard Rock Bet mobile betting app. However, illegal gambling operations have continued to proliferate.

One of the most recent busts in December 2024 was conducted in Volusia and Brevard Counties, with police authorities going after five illegal gambling casinos they had been tipped about at an earlier time. This was one of the largest hauls recorded by the police as well that year, with more than 500 gambling machines and more than $845,000 seized during the operation.

Earlier in October, Floridan authorities similarly closed in on another operation in Indian River County, which saw 68 illegal slot machines busted along with $37,719 in cash busted. Floridan police remains on the lookout for more such illegal gambling operations, depending on citizen tips and its own undercover agents.

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Stoyan Todorov

Co-editor

Stoyan holds over 9 years of esports and gambling writing experience under his belt and is specifically knowledgeable about developments within the online scene. He is a great asset to the Gambling News team with his niche expertise and continual focus on providing our readers with articles that have a unique spin which differentiates us from the rest.

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11 Comments

LaRue
January 3, 2025 at 12:38 pm

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Leave the casinos Alone!! Who are they hurting ? Oh wait the Seminole has Full rights( pay off Govt) The gaming commissioner gets a kick back? Maybe the Sherriff’s?
Amy
January 3, 2025 at 4:01 pm

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And yet they run rampant in Pinellas County
Jim
January 3, 2025 at 5:42 pm

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BS! The Indian casinos have a monopoly and as long as fair operators who pay their taxes to the state and county, the police need to concentrate on real crime!
James Phillips
January 3, 2025 at 9:11 pm

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James Phillips’s
Dennis Short
January 3, 2025 at 10:06 pm

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This is definitely bullshit a man goes to work every day has to work seven days a week to provide for his family because they have to pay $180.00 A week for health insurance out of his check the government takes half of it in taxes then you got Social Security that we don’t even know we’re gonna get they’re broke now my kids will never see that money. What’s wrong with the man opening up a small casino as long as he’s paying taxes, it’s all a big game if you’re not big, you will never get big the government constantly hold you back so the bigger get bigger and the workingman never gets ahead they don’t mention how much it cost the taxpayers to do that Bust it probably took two weeks just to set it up in meetings with 20 guys each of them making $1000 a day. It’s all a big scam They’re just protecting the Indians and supporting the mob. You don’t really think those Indians Support those casinos I live a block away from the reservation, and I can tell you 20 years ago they were living in tents Where did they get the money to build that casino? They think everyone are idiots.
Sue
January 3, 2025 at 10:52 pm

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Totally agree!!
Rybo
January 4, 2025 at 1:36 am

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Yeah definitely totall bullshit. Where do you think the millns of dollars seized went? I bet other police departments in other areas of Florida are using their resources , (our tax money and government funding), to run operations targeting these small casinos for the money. Hey l, how out yu guys focus on real crime??? Sad how this world is all about $$$.
I’m curious what the 1.2 million in ,”other assets” actually was. Did they take other personal belongings like jewelry, or what? Not to mention the million plus in vehicles. Not to mention, You know what they’re gonna do with those hundreds of “illegal” slot machines, right? To the auction, where they now become “legal” to sell. More millions in their pocket.
What they did and are doing is wrong in so many ways, now that’s criminal.
Josh
January 4, 2025 at 12:47 pm

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I agree I play in the lil strip mall casino’s AKA Gamerooms, and there is nothing wrong with that most of them have promos 2 times a day I know I’m in Pinellas as county and they is more gamerooms / casinos then I have fingers and toes so why don’t you the cops and special agents do so real cop work instead of being lazy go fight real fukin crime
Dorothy
January 4, 2025 at 2:44 pm

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Well they need to shut them down cause so many of them are ran crooked taking from customers in a lot of ways you put a 1000 dollars in a slot and the worker plays behind you and get the win of it yes workers even the fish tables workers Play them too not only that they can’t keep the addicts out of them
Doug martin
January 4, 2025 at 2:52 pm

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At least legalize slots at old dog racing and jai Lai places and the poker places
Debbie
January 4, 2025 at 8:16 pm

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I feel that the adults should be able to spend their money the way they choose. They r not hurting anyone. They worked hard to make it. There isn’t many things to go in our small town so it gave us something to do and we enjoyed it .