Three suspects were charged for running an illegal gambling house and another suspect was found to be wanted on a warrant for a parole violation.
The investigation was run by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and the .
Throughout Volusia County, we have these illegal gambling houses that are popping up all over,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in a statement. “It’s sort of like playing whack-a-mole: We’ll go in with a cease-and-desist order, they’ll temporarily shut down and then change locations and operate in a different venue.”
He said these illegal operations were “stealing” money from visitors, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Free MealsTo keep the patrons on site, the 11 gambling joints even gave players catered meals, so they didn’t have to take a break to get food, Chitwood revealed.
The inquiry into illegal gambling started two years ago. The gambling joints were investigated. Evidence was presented to a local judge who approved search warrants. The raids took place.
Last week’s raids, and ones taking place in the county during November, led to the seizure of more than $1.1M and the disabling of over 600 slot machines, according to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff s office plans to continue to crack down on illegal gambling and related crimes.