Florida begins crackdown on unlicensed slot machines after passing law
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has immediately cracked down on suspected illegal slot machines after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law last week allowing confiscated slot machines and their associated funds to become state property.
DeSantis signed House Bill 5203, which would allow cash "and other items of value" such as slot machines seized by law enforcement to be retained and sold by the state. Since the governor signed the law, the Florida Gaming Control Board's Gambling Enforcement Division has conducted numerous raids on businesses advertised as amusement parks and entertainment centers that state officials say are operating illegal gambling operations.
The FGCC, with assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol and the Hamilton and Jefferson County Sheriff's Offices, recently executed two search warrants at businesses suspected of harboring illegal slot machines. The Gambling Authority reported yesterday that 179 illegal gaming machines had been seized and five people arrested.
The raids took place at a store called Coff33 Café in White Springs and the Rio Arcade in Port St. Lucie.
🚨🚨Breaking: Gambling Control Commission Agents, @FLHSMV Rapid Response Team, JCSO and HCSO make arrests, shut down illegal gambling establishments and seize 179 suspected illegal gambling devices!#FLGaming#LawAndOrderpic.twitter.com/hq0TkBF9oi
— Florida Gaming Control Commission (@FLGamingControl) 10. April 2024
The mall is on alert
Florida is dotted with retail stores that offer arcade games, but many offer customers the chance to win cash or vouchers that can be used as store credit.
Legal slot machines in Florida are limited to casinos operated by the Seminole Tribe and pari-mutuel casinos in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Florida law enforcement officials say amusement parks not only violate the state's gambling laws but often attract unsavory characters.
"Often, these types of locations attract secondary crimes and can have a negative impact on the community," an FGCC spokesperson told ABC27 in Tallahassee. "They do have a negative impact on the community."
Recently, a man was murdered in front of a Rio arcade. Secondary criminal activity is another reason for law enforcement to take action when an illegal casino is suspected.
“The FGCC is very strict in regulating slot machines in Florida,” the agency said in a tweet this week on Florida Laws.
Many casinos use names and brands associated with Las Vegas.
In addition to the Rio Arcade called Rio Las Vegas, there is also a Caesars Arcade in St. Petersburg that features the iconic Caesars Palace logo on the mall's exterior. Lake Worth Beach is also home to the Treasure Island Arcade and Port St. Lucie is home to the Tropicana Arcade.
Increase penalties for illegal gambling
In addition to passing a law that would allow Florida to seize seized illegal gambling machines and related financial assets, state lawmakers are considering a bill that would increase penalties for people convicted of operating gambling Penalties for illegal gambling enterprises. In February, the state Senate passed a bill that would increase the penalty for illegal gambling from a second-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony.
The state House is currently considering Senate Bill 1046. If passed and signed by DeSantis, the bill would make repeat offenders face a second-degree felony on a second offense and a first-degree felony on subsequent charges.
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Source: www.casino.org
