The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has managed to arrest 28 people as part of an undercover operation conducted on September 3, 2025. This is part of the state’s efforts in Florida to limit the growth of unauthorized gambling, much of which has focused on land-based venues.
In this case, police were able to confiscate 48 illegal gambling machines and more than $100,000 in cash. Dubbed “Operation Bad Odds,” the state Gaming Control Commission and the Auburndale Police Department coordinated efforts to track the venues and bust them.
However, instead of a single venue, 11 locations ran as fronts for the gambling operations, and police were able to track all of them, executing search warrants leading to 28 arrests. According to the police, at least five individuals were in the country illegally.
Sheriff Grady Judd did not mince his words about what awaits the culprits, arguing that people who engage in such activities will end up in jail. Judd also warned the public to steer clear of such venues, as the games they used were not programmed to offer impartial and fair play:
“People who gamble on machines like the ones we confiscated are being ripped off.”
As to the people arrested, they will face different charges – keeping a gambling house, possession of slot machines, disposing of money by lottery, and more. The mugshots of all culprits were published by the sheriff’s office.