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 BioCape Coral Police and the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) raided six arcades and one residence, seizing 428 illegal gambling machines and over $540,000 in cash. Authorities called the August 22 operation one of the largest illegal gambling busts on the Gulf Coast.
The raided arcades included:
- Vegas Style Games – 1119 Del Prado Boulevard S. #2
- Jacks Arcade – 1480 NE Pine Island Road #1C
- Senior Chuckies – 111 Del Prado Boulevard N. #10
- White Sands – 2710 Del Prado Boulevard S.
- Jackpot Corner – 1242 SW Pine Island Road
- Jackpot Island – 900 SW Pine Island Road
The Cape Coral Police Department said the arcades preyed on elderly residents, particularly those with gambling addictions. Moreover, the machines were rigged, with some calibrated to have a return-to-player percentage as low as 18%. For context, the minimum payout required by Florida law is 85%.
Carl Herold from the FGCC emphasized that slot machines are illegal in Florida outside regulated casinos:
“Slot machine gambling is illegal in the state of Florida. There’s no if ands or buts.”
“Please go to one of their tribal sites or go to one of the regulated facilities in Florida.”
Despite the substantial seizures, authorities have not made any arrests, although they confirm they’ve identified several persons of interest.
Port Richey Raid Adds to Statewide Crackdowns
The Cape Coral seizures are part of a broader enforcement campaign against illegal gambling in Florida.
Just weeks earlier, the FGC and Pasco County authorities conducted a similar operation. At the beginning of August, FGC and Port Richey police raided five locations, confiscating 249 illegal machines and nearly $200,000 in cash, issuing eight Notices to Appear.
Much like Cape Coral, the venues were in strip malls and disguised as entertainment arcades. Those raids, dubbed Operation Skilled Takedown, followed a pattern seen in Okeechobee, DeLand, Tallahassee, and Daytona Beach, highlighting the growth of unregulated gambling across Florida.
Florida’s Ongoing ‘Whac-A-Mole’ Arcade Problem
The Cape Coral raid highlights a broader trend across the state: shutting down illegal arcades often does not mean they remain closed.
Experts describe Florida’s fight with illegal gambling arcades as a game of “whac-a-mole“, where raided and closed venues quickly resurface under new names or at new locations.
Often, these venues even reopen under the same name. For example, Hot Seats in Leon County continues to operate; authorities shut it down during the 2017 raid, “Operation Jackpot.”
Another venue, Dreamer’s Arcade, was also targeted in 2017, but continued to operate until 2024. That’s when another raid resulted in the seizure of $45,000 and 100 illegal slots.
Some, especially customers who frequent these establishments, blame their popularity on Florida’s strict gambling laws, which allow casinos only on tribal lands and a few Broward and Dade County racinos.
At the same time, these illegal arcades continue to survive and even thrive due to several factors, including their visibility and the lack of effective penalties and oversight.
Reopening the venues under a different name is possible with minimal notice and effort. Additionally, operators often face small fines and brief closures before being allowed to reopen elsewhere.
Furthermore, as they are unregulated, they can avoid consumer protections, as discovered in the Cape Coral raid. That allows them to keep a much higher percentage of the wagers as profits, motivating perpetrators to continue reopening venues.
What Comes Next
Florida‘s reputation as a business-friendly state, with streamlined registration processes, inadvertently aids these operators.
However, the hands-off approach does benefit these illegal gambling operations, which reappear across the state despite the increased raids from authorities.
The Cape Coral operation may be one of the most significant seizures to date. Still, unless lawmakers and regulators modify the enforcement framework or impose stricter penalties, the cycle of closure and reopening is likely to continue.
