Chavdar Vasilev is a journalist covering the casino and sports betting market sectors for CasinoBeats. He joined CasinoBeats in May 2025 and reports on industry-shaping stories across the US and beyond, including legislative debates, market...
Read Full BioA Thanksgiving Day raid in Johnson County resulted in 25 detentions and the rescue of 74 roosters at what authorities describe as an illegal cockfighting gambling ring.
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office responded around 11 a.m. to a property on Deborah Drive in Alvarado after receiving reports of a suspected cockfighting event. According to the sheriff’s office, many attendees attempted to flee when deputies arrived, with 25 being detained.
Three juveniles were present at the event. Authorities released them to family members.
Inside the Raid
The sheriff’s office reported recovering 74 roosters, including two birds with serious injuries. All were transferred to wildlife-rehabilitation personnel for care. Authorities seized a trophy, which they describe as the award for the event.
They have not released further details regarding charges or the identities of the suspects. According to animal-welfare advocates, the raid fits into a broader pattern of organized cockfighting events across North Texas and Oklahoma.
They told CBS News that cockfighting is “always entangled with other crimes — always illegal gambling, always money laundering and tax evasion, often narcotics trafficking, and occasionally human-on-human violence.”
CBS News also reported that birds used in these fights are often fitted with “sharpened spurs or ‘gaffs,’ which are knife-like weapons,” tied to the birds’ legs for combat.
Recent Illegal-Gambling Busts Across Texas
The Thanksgiving raid is the latest in a series of illegal-gambling and underground-gaming busts reported across Texas this year.
On October 30, Karnes County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested two people during a raid at a suspected illegal gambling room. Authorities charged the individuals with gambling promotion, maintaining a gambling place, possession of a gambling device, and additional weapons and drug-related offenses.
In late August, deputies in Southeast Bexar County executed a warrant at Royal Room 777, seizing 60 illegal gambling machines and $67,350 in cash.
They arrested four employees on charges including gambling promotion, keeping a gambling place, possession of gambling paraphernalia, and gambling-organized crime. Authorities cited eighteen patrons for gambling offenses.
Days later, the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office Organized Crime Task Force shut down an alleged game room in Dickinson known locally as “Mardi Gras.”
Authorities seized 81 slot-style machines and roughly $42,000 from the business. Additionally, they seized $1.52 million from the alleged owner’s residence. In addition to the owner, authorities charged five other women with engaging in organized criminal activity.
Earlier in the year, several other counties reported similar enforcement actions:
- Harrison County (May 2025): Authorities confiscated around 80 illegal gaming machines during multi-site searches. They detained several individuals and found narcotics at some locations.
- Laredo (May 2025): Police seized 60 gaming machines and around $12,000 in cash during a raid that led to arrests on gambling-promotion and organized-crime charges.
Law enforcement agencies have repeatedly stated that some of these venues operate under the guise of “game rooms” or “sweepstakes arcades.” However, they violate state law by issuing cash payouts instead of non-monetary prizes.
High-Enforcement Environment in Low-Gambling State
Texas maintains one of the strictest gambling policies in the United States. Available forms of legal gambling include the state lottery, charitable bingo and raffles, parimutuel wagering on horse racing, and gaming at three tribal casinos.
Attempts to expand gambling have repeatedly failed in the Legislature, especially in the Senate. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who controls the Senate, has consistently stated opposition to gambling. He is running for reelection in 2026, meaning the status quo might not change soon.
Republican candidates for the state’s Attorney General position share Patrick’s anti-gambling tone. All four candidates have recently pledged to uphold Texas gambling bans.
Gambling has also been a focal point in some legislative races. A competitive Dallas-area Senate race became a proxy war between major casino interests and Texas’s dominant social-conservative bloc. At the end, the pro-gambling candidate didn’t make it to the runoffs.
Meanwhile, James Talarico, who, according to some polls, leads in the Texas Senate Democratic Primary, has faced criticism for accepting donations from casino owners.
The anti-gambling political landscape has put Texas in a familiar place: a state with increasing consumer demand for gambling but with minimal legal options. That has led to an increase in illegal gambling operations, looking to cash in on the demand.
Next Steps in Cockfighting Case
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has not released additional details about potential charges or the legal status of those detained. The seized trophy remains in evidence, and wildlife-rehabilitation teams are evaluating the condition of the injured roosters.
Officials say more updates will follow as investigators sort through roles, evidence, and statements gathered at the Thanksgiving Day scene.
