LEESBURG, Fla. — A coordinated, multi-agency enforcement operation on Thursday night resulted in the seizure of 231 illegal gambling machines and more than $157,000 in cash.
The haul came from three suspected illegal gambling houses in Leesburg and Umatilla in Lake County.
The January 8 operation involved detectives with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, several police departments, and agents with the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC).
Investigators said they executed search warrants following citizen complaints and the investigations that followed.
Hotseats and The Hub in Leesburg, as well as House of Treasures in Umatilla, were all shuttered.
At Hotseats, investigators said they seized 77 illegal gambling machines and $36,621 in cash. Two Notices to Appear were issued to employees on charges of possession of slot machines and keeping a gambling house.
The business is in a strip mall next to a church, whose pastor said they need to hire security and that they have to clean up trash left in the parking lot every morning.
“I’m not a proponent of gambling, so I would love to see gambling eradicated from our county,” said Pastor George Thomas of Celebration Baptist Church. “If there was a vote, I would certainly vote to have gambling eradicated if we could.”
Agents also raided House of Treasures, where they seized 56 machines, including slot machines and fish tables. They also recovered $75,619 in cash. Three Notices to Appear were issued to employees at that location for the exact charges.
At The Hub, authorities seized 98 illegal gambling machines and $46,597 in cash, with two additional Notices to Appear issued.
One resident said repeat closures raise questions about oversight.
“They definitely need to have some kind of better regulation,” he said. “They raid them and then they’re able to open back, and it makes everyone think they’re okay.”
Pastor Thomas said gambling operations often target vulnerable people. “I think gambling preys on the folks who typically can’t afford to do it, and I see that happening all too often,” he said.
The enforcement effort, conducted under the operational name Calvin Coolidge, removed all 231 machines in a single night.
Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell said similar operations will continue.
“We will continue these operations to eradicate this illegal activity and arrest those that are responsible,” Grinnell said, thanking the FGCC for its partnership.
Under Florida law, slot machines are permitted only at licensed gaming facilities. Illegal gambling at unlicensed locations is prohibited statewide.
Authorities encourage residents who suspect illegal gambling activity to report it anonymously to the Florida Gaming Control Commission through its website at flgaming.gov.
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