Michigan Illegal Gambling Case Settled, Owner Agrees to Stop

The case concerning an illegal gambling establishment in Michigan has reached a legal settlement, with the owner agreeing to no longer engage in similar operations. According to the Michigan Gaming Control Board, the settlement was reached on May 7, resolving the matter for good.

Linos Antonio Kas-Mikha, who ran the unlicensed gambling operation, agreed to no longer “engage in any other nuisance in any other building or place” in Genesee County. In addition, the man agreed to pay $3,500 to cover the costs associated with the case.

Kas-Mikha, for reference, was previously slammed with felony charges for operating illegal gambling in Flint. His businesses, The Cellular Bank, The Cellular Vault and The Flint Arcade offered slot machines and computers on which players could play gambling games.

Additionally, customers could procure PIN cards that enabled them to wager online.

Kas-Mikha’s Business Changed Names to Avoid Detection

Kas-Mikha’s The Cellular Bank and The Cellular Vault venues were raided in August 2022. The authorities confiscated dozens of slot machines and computers used for gambling, as well as PIN cards for online gambling and thousands of dollars in cash.

In 2023, the police also raided The Flint Arcade, a business on the same site as The Cellular Vault, confiscating some 50 gambling devices and seizing over $13K in cash.

Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley commented on the now-settled case, thanking the Michigan Gaming Control Board and the city’s law enforcement partners for helping bust the illegal operation. He said that the unlicensed business will no longer take advantage of vulnerable people in the community.

Neeley added that he hoped the Kas-Mikha case would make other potential wrongdoers think twice before offering illegal gambling.

I hope the forfeiture of the Corunna Road establishment sends a strong message that we will hold bad actors accountable when they profit from illegal activities that threaten public health and safety.

Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley

Henry Williams, executive director of the MGCB, also commented on the matter, vowing to take action against businesses that undermine the work of the legal gambling sector.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Illegal gambling operations anywhere undermine the integrity of our regulated gaming industry everywhere.

Henry Williams, executive director, MGCB

Williams thanked everyone who assisted in shutting down the illegal operation in Flint and said that it proved that joint efforts could lead to favorable change.