Lexington County Man Faces Illegal Gambling Charges after Devices Found at Home

Lexington County police and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division have arrested one W. L. H. Sr., 51, whom they suspect has been running an illegal gambling operation. 

The arrest was conducted on March 9, 2026, and the man was immediately charged with possession of an illegal gambling machine, described as “unlawful possession and operation of a slot, video, vending machine or gambling device and unlawful games and betting.” 

This last part is important, as police seldom charge anyone with unlawful betting, although they technically can. The arrest was conducted a week after a search warrant was executed on March 2.

18 Gambling Machines Seized as Part of Operation 

During the search, police were able to discover 18 gambling machines at the suspect’s home, and specifically Pot O Gold devices. These machines are able to run a variety of different games of chance, including keno and blackjack, and also casino variants of poker. 

South Carolina has been fairly conservative when it comes to the regulation of gambling, which has led to the rise of underground operations, such as the one run by H. Sr. 

In February, Senate Bill 444 sought to introduce online sports betting regulation in the state, but it was met with opposition from lawmakers. 

In-state sports betting is available at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River in Murphy, and Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain.