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Read Full BioThe arrest of Florida Sheriff Marcos Lopez has shone the spotlight on the illegal gambling industry in the state, with arcades being shut down and then quickly reopening.
Lopez has been suspended from his position as Osceola County Sheriff and was charged in June with racketeering tied to a Central Florida gambling network. Primarily, the illegal gambling operation cited in Lopez’s arrest was The Eclipse, a venue offering casino games in Kissimmee.
The Tampa Bay News has reported that court records show the owners of The Eclipse overlap with other illegal gaming venues that had been previously shut down.
Hot Seats, a gaming arcade located in Lake County, continues to operate despite being part of a 2017 sting titled “Operation Jackpot”. As part of the investigation led by Lake County’s sheriff, Hot Seats was one of 10 illegal casinos shut down.
Another venue, Dreamer’s Arcade, also had funds seized in 2017, but continued to operate before another raid last year, where $45,000 and 100 illegal gaming machines were seized.
Gaming Venues Pop Back Up After Raids
Last week, another raid near Tampa, named “Operation Skilled Takedown,” seized over 200 illegal slot machines and nearly $200,000 in cash from five illegal arcades. However, enforcing the closure of venues is a challenge for law enforcement, as the businesses frequently reopen under new names.
Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University, commented, “I have always said that you will never get rid of these arcades. It’s like playing Whac-A-Mole. You could go on a major bust and try to close the ones in your county and eventually they will come back.”
Many of the arcades appear to be hiding in plain sight, using the same names. Reporters recently visited Hot Seats and found it was still active despite being named in the Lopez investigation. Reports stated that there were “More than a dozen customers, many of them seniors, sat in a dark room filled with electronic slot machines.”
Several locations are also continuing to operate under the Dreamer’s name in the state. A Dreamer’s Arcade in West Palm Beach has 5-star reviews on Google from three months ago, stating, “Great place to play the slots. Free soda and chips are offered to you. Great offers at different times of day. Machines do pay off. Staff are outstanding, very kind and helpful. Would recommend- you will like it there”.
Another review of a Dreamer’s in Bushnell from five days ago comments, “I went with two of my friends for the first time and even though I didn’t win I had a great time. I went back a few days later and got my money back lol. The staff there was very nice and informative about how to play each game. She took the time to explain each one as I don’t usually play those kind of games. You give me a 25 cent poker machine and I will never leave. Thanks for the fun”.
Both slots and video poker are illegal in Florida, which strictly limits gambling to casinos on tribal lands and racinos in Broward and Dade Counties.
Players Hope To Hit Jackpots, But Citizens Urge More Action
The availability of the venues across the state continues to attract players hoping to win big on slots and casino games. As some of the reviews of the illegal arcades state, players often believe they have a chance of winning on the games, and at the state’s legal casinos, there are also stories of big payouts.
In July, one player hit 369 jackpots in one day at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa to win $1.8 million. The casino said it was “one of the most impressive one-day runs in the property’s history.”
Not everyone is enthusiastic about the possibility of winning at the legal casinos or the illegal arcades, however. Florida’s gaming commission received more than 1,200 complaints last year about illegal gambling.
Many complaints have been about Hot Seats, which has been able to survive despite being implicated in numerous investigations. One complainant wrote to the commission this year, stating, “Shut this illegal casino down in my area. This place is full of slot-type machines that are taking advantage of the elderly in the communities nearby.”
The prevalence of venues across the state means it is a tough task for law enforcement to shut down the venues, particularly if Sheriffs, such as Lopez, are facilitating the operations.
