Alabama authorities have seized more than a hundred gambling machines in Etowah County. The investigation is still ongoing and no arrests have been made as of the time of this writing.
Five Illegal Casinos Were Identified and Raided
The police began investigating the case following complaints from people in an East Gadsden neighborhood. Thanks to this, the police bust several improvised gambling facilities across the locale. According to the authorities, the illegal casinos were a source of unrest for the locals as they oftentimes played loud music at night and were responsible for various traffic hazards.
Yesterday, the police were issued warrants that greenlit the search of five separate unlicensed gambling venues in Gadsden. To be precise, the illicit casinos were found in East Gadsden, South Gadsden and Alabama City.
As announced by the country sheriff, Jonathon Horton, a total of 108 gambling machines were seized during the raids. In addition, the police found more than $13,500 in cash at the illegal gambling venues.
No One Has Been Arrested as of Yet
The police shared that three of the locations that were raided had been previously warned to stop their activities. However, it looks like the venues didn’t follow the cease and desist orders of the sheriff and the district attorney and didn’t remove their machines from the state, as instructed. Instead, the illegal operators just pretended to follow the orders and relocated to new buildings.
Under local laws, the operators of the illegal venues are guilty of promoting gambling. According to Alabama Law, anyone who knowingly advances and/or profits from illegal gambling activities is considered to be promoting gambling.
In addition, the operators are also guilty of possessing gambling devices. As a result, Horton and his office will ask authorities to order the destruction of the machines. They will also demand that the seized monies be turned over.
As of the time of this writing, no one has been arrested. The investigation will continue.
A Similar Case from Austria
Authorities in Austria just dealt with a similar case where they uncovered a bunch of illegal operators and seized their machines. A similar sum ($18,000) was found at the venues. However, unlike their Alabaman counterparts who played loud music, the Austrian operators were much more secretive. According to the Austrian police, the illegal venues were cleverly disguised as other kinds of shops, including food corners and even a waxing studio. Some were locked behind heavy iron doors which required the assistance of experts to be unlocked.