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 BioThe Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC), the Port Richey Police Department, and the New Port Richey Police Department have raided five illegal gambling establishments, seizing over 200 illegal slot machines and nearly $200,000 in cash.
In the August 4 sweep, named “Operation Skilled Takedown,” authorities targeted five Port Richey locations (just north of Tampa) and issued eight Notices to Appear on gambling-related charges.
A sign on the businesses’ doors stated:
“This location has been closed permanently, due to conducting illegal gaming operations by the Florida Gaming Control and the Port Richey Police Department.”
Carl Herold, the Director of Gaming Enforcement for the FGCC, emphasized that the raided properties are unregulated and pose a threat to public safety and legal businesses:
“These operations exploit vulnerable individuals, create an uneven playing field for lawful businesses, and bring unwanted crime and disorder to the communities in which they operate.”
Where and What Authorities Seized
In total, the authorities seized $194,262 in suspected gambling proceeds and 249 illegal gambling machines from the five locations:
- Oz Place – 6624 Ridge Road: 54 slot machines, $28,394 seized, 3 Notices to Appear
- Oz Place – 6630 Ridge Road: 5 slot machines recovered (business had closed before the raid)
- FL Skill Arcade – 6400 Ridge Road: 52 slot machines, $41,230 seized, 1 Notice to Appear
- Ridge Road Place Arcade – 6638 Ridge Road: 56 slot machines, $35,467 seized, 2 Notices to Appear
- 777 Arcade – 8633 U.S. Highway 19: 82 slot machines, $86,171 seized, 2 Notices to Appear
Past Enforcement Actions
The Port Richey raid is the latest in a statewide initiative targeting illegal casinos. Recent enforcements include:
- June 2025: Orange County’s Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a location disguised as a garage door repair shop, uncovering 19 illegal slot machines and an undisclosed amount of cash.
- April 2025: FGCC and local law enforcement agencies raided 10 illegal casinos in Okeechobee, DeLand, Daytona Beach, and Dade City. Authorities seized approximately 100 slot machines and $60,000 in cash.
- March 2025: FGCC, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Highway Patrol raided three businesses in Tallahassee. They seized over 100 illegal machines and over $92,000 in cash.
- February 2025: FGCC and local law enforcement raided seven convenience stores across North and Central Florida, seizing 35 illegal machines and over $30,000 in cash.
In addition, since 2023, investigative reports have uncovered a network of “arcades” across South West Florida, including Bradenton and Sarasota. Despite numerous raids and seizures, many have reopened or relocated, with authorities describing them as a recurring regulatory “whack-a-mole.”
Underground Arcades: Why Illegal ‘Casinos’ Persist
A recent exposé by nonprofit outlet Suncoast Searchlight sheds light on these “arcades” across Florida. While presented as “arcades”, these venues feature only slot-style, real-money machines, rather than toys or tickets.
Often, they’re located in small strip malls, wrapped in tinted windows, with flashing neon signs and unclear signage, attempting to avoid detection while luring regular customers. Some of the reasons for them to continue to survive include:
- Low Visibility: These operations can open and close with a different name with minimal notice, trading visibility for profits.
- Weak Penalties and High Tolerance: Despite numerous enforcement actions, “arcade” operators often face small fines and brief closure before reopening elsewhere. The weak criminal penalties and limited law enforcement capacity allow the arcades to become a recurring challenge.
- Unregulated: As they’re unregulated, these arcades don’t have to offer consumer protections. That means they can deny payouts and offer unfair odds, all to the owner’s profit. Also, they attract other criminal behavior, such as drug use and money disputes.
Florida’s Legal Gambling Landscape: Why the Underground Thrives
Florida is not among the most gambling-friendly states. That helps to explain the continued rise of unlicensed gambling “arcades” across the state.
Florida prohibits commercial casinos, requiring a constitutional amendment to change this. Instead, there are tribal casinos on Seminole and Miccosukee tribal lands and racinos in Broward and Dade Counties.
The tribal casinos, such as the Seminole’s Hard Rock Hollywood, operate full-scale table games, such as blackjack and roulette, and slot machines under federal tribal gaming compacts.
Meanwhile, racinos offer slot machines and pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, greyhound racing (simulcast betting), and jai alai. However, they don’t offer table games.
Online casinos are also prohibited, while mobile sports betting, currently a monopoly system under Seminole’s Hard Rock Bet, is tied up in legal challenges, limiting access in many areas.
In recent years, sweepstakes casinos have gained popularity. However, they operate in a gray area, prompting regulatory and legislative crackdowns in several states. Earlier this year, Florida introduced a bill to ban online platforms, but it failed early in the legislative session.
