Drew Dixon
Four illegal gambling casinos were nailed in Brevard County this month after a joint investigation by state officials and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
The Florida Gaming Control Commission assisted in the probe with the Sheriff’s investigators, who ended up confiscating a total of 146 illegal slot machines and about $195,000 in cash.
“We are grateful for the partnership we have with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the continued attention on investigating and shutting down these predatory illegal casinos,” said Lou Trombetta, Executive Director of the Florida Gaming Control Commission.
“Sadly, the money these unlicensed, unregulated facilities take in is essentially stealing from the patrons who frequent these establishments, and because they are unlicensed, there are no player protections or benefits to the community like regulated facilities.”
While the cash seized on the sites of the illegal casino operations helped break the case, officials said there was much more money involved in the bogus gambling sites. State law enforcement officials along with personnel from Sheriff Wayne Ivey’s Office both were involved in the seizure of the illegal operations and equipment.
While there were multiple arrests involving the illegal gambling sites, neither state officials nor Sheriff’s investigators provided details as to the identities of those facing criminal charges in the case. The locations of the physical operations of the casinos were also not disclosed.
“Sheriff Ivey and his team have been excellent partners with FGCC in closing illegal gambling operations that continue to pop up in their communities, and they are determined to minimize the risks of these establishments and related criminal activity,” said Carl Herold, Florida Gaming Control Commission director of law enforcement.
“Our Division of Gaming Enforcement agents will continue to investigate and partner with local law enforcement agencies throughout the state, and we encourage the community to continue reporting these illegal facilities to our team, or to their local law enforcement agency.”
While there were no details provided in a news release as to how the busts of the operations were achieved, a news release advised, “Citizen reports are important to share concerns about illegal gambling activities or facilities in Florida. Concerns can be reported online at FLGaming.gov/File-a-Report, by email at [email protected], or by phone at 850-880-3433.”
