Florida police departments team up to raid 11 stores for illegal gambling machines
Florida police departments team up to raid 11 stores for illegal gambling machines
Polk County Sheriff’s Department and Auburndale Police Department have joined forces to search Florida stores for illegal gambling machines.
In a video shared to Facebook by the Polk County Sheriff’s Department, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described more evidence being seized after the two law enforcement agencies raided 11 stores as part of an undercover illegal gambling investigation.
The video shows officers loading gambling machines, presumably found to be illegally operating, onto a truck. The search appears to have taken place at an unrelated business, with a sign in the background suggesting it’s some sort of deli or eatery. A news conference with more information on the operation and the wider efforts to prevent illegal gambling will be held at 1 pm on Thursday, September 4.
Sheriff Judd said that the operation was part of a joint operation between Polk County Sheriff’s Department and Auburndale Police Department. Auburndale is a city within Poly County, Florida.
“This is what happens when law enforcement agencies partner up,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “Good things happen, bad guys go to jail.”
Illegal gambling in Florida and across the US
Last month, nearly 250 illegal slot machines were seized in another team-up effort between the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) and the Port Richey and New Port Richey police departments, highlighting the importance of inter-agency cooperation once again. The operation spread across five locations and marked a wider crackdown on illegal games across the country.
A similar operation took place in San Francisco, while recent data showed that illegal wagering takes up nearly a third of the US market. That’s estimated to cost the US $ 15.3 billion a year in taxes, with offshore platforms getting a total turnover of $ 53.9 billion, but also exposes users to greater risk of fraud, theft, and gambling-related harm.
Featured image: Polk County Sheriff’s Department
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