BRADENTON, Fla. — A multi-location illegal gambling network has been dismantled in Florida, with hundreds of machines seized and thousands of dollars recovered.
The Florida Gaming Control Commission, along with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, executed “Operation Silent Spin," seizing 265 illegal slot machines and more than $120,000 in gambling proceeds from three arcades in Bradenton.
Officials said the operation targeted Spin City Arcade, another unnamed arcade, and Mike’s Arcade, where investigators found large volumes of cash and uncovered evidence of criminal activity. The seizures included 155 machines and $78,483 from Spin City Arcade, 61 machines and $24,157 from the unnamed location, and 49 machines and $18,157 from Mike’s Arcade.
Authorities linked the crackdown to growing safety concerns after an armed robbery and shooting last month at an illegal gambling house in Manatee County, where a customer was shot multiple times. Critics say such operations attract violent crime, weapons, drugs, and predatory schemes.
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