Illegal Central Florida casinos were shut down again, and illegal sales of nicotine and alcohol at other locations were also targeted per a recent article from the state. In response to community complaints about two ongoing violations of Florida law – illegal “internet cafe” casinos and illegal sales of nicotine, vapes, and alcohol to underage buyers – Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies and detectives took enforcement actions on both issues. Additionally, the report notes that Florida Gaming Control Commission agents assisted in the operation. Last month, four illegal casinos in DeLand and Orange City, including three that reopened after getting shut down in the past, were shut down as VSO executed simultaneous search warrants.
For this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from the latest gaming news coming from Florida along with some other notes and info regarding Sunshine State gaming and beyond.
Cited in the article, six smoke shops and convenience stores, including four repeat violators, were cited for selling nicotine or alcohol to an underage buyer as well. “Businesses can follow the law, or they can accept the consequences,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. “We’re not going to stop enforcing the law just because some businesses want to ignore it.”
The illegal casino locations shut down were Preview Games in Orange City and Comptrek, Cyber Monkey, and Smash Monkey in DeLand. Smash Monkey is the same illegal casino wherein VSO deputies recently tracked down a fraud suspect accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a senior couple. The suspect was gambling on one of the electronic casino games when she was arrested. In total, detectives seized more than 100 illegal casino machines and more than $114,000 cash from the four locations.
Two employees at PReview Games, both of whom were working at the location during a previous VSO search warrant and shut down in July, were arrested on charges of acting as an employee of an illegal gambling house and permitting the operation of slot machines. The charges are second-degree misdemeanors. “Illegal gambling is a serious issue, and we are grateful to partner with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and to support Sheriff Chitwood and his team in shutting these locations down,” Lou Trombetta, Executive Director of the Florida Gaming Control Commission said in the article.
“Legal gaming is strictly regulated in Florida to provide player protections, combat illegal activity, generate state revenue, and foster game integrity. We will continue to address illicit gambling to protect citizens and communities, and we appreciate continued reports about any suspicion of illegal gambling operations and facilities,” Trombetta would go on to add.
Moreover, the report also goes over some other crime updates from the same area close to the illegal gaming establishments. Per the article, an undercover, underage buyer attempted to purchase alcohol or nicotine products at different stores. Of those, six sold to the underage customer, and four were repeat offenders. According to law enforcement in the article, the recent violations at a handful of different locations in the area.
In other Florida gaming news, law enforcement used old-fashioned detective work to track down the man who planted two explosive devices at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Florida. The authorities held a joint press conference on Thursday announcing the arrest of Brian Eckley following a collaborative investigation involving the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies in the area. Additionally, a special agent involved in tracking down the culprit explained how they initially had zero leads and “nothing to go on.” After reviewing surveillance footage though, they noticed a man acting peculiarly at the casino three days before the incident.
As the report specifies, they tracked down the unique truck he drove and found the vehicle’s previous owner, who revealed Eckley bought it using an alias, cash, and a burner phone to arrange the deal. Police had even arrested the suspect a couple of days before the bomb incident for aggravated assault with a firearm. The authorities linked forensic evidence in the two cases, getting a match. Eckley, the article said, who went so far as altering his gait while walking through the casino, faces up to 30 years in prison. The agencies involved in helping this case were the following: the FBI, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Seminole Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. In this scenario, the police used all their tools at their disposal to catch the suspect and make sure no one was harmed.
After you are all dialed in regarding the latest gaming news and notes coming from the Sunshine State, make sure to peruse the excellent array of resources for you over at SBS. Of course, for even more information and notes on the topic covered here, make sure to check out the Florida sports betting guide which goes over all of the latest gaming updates from the area. Additionally, for those looking to maximize their bets, the best bonus betting sites rundown has a ton of excellent information to keep you rolling. This includes a catalogue of the latest and greatest welcome bonus offers. Finally, for those on the go, the best betting apps breakdown is a fantastic page that goes over all of the perks of mobile betting and how you can stay on top of the action if you qualify.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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