Police raids of suspected illegal gambling operations continue to take place across Texas. More than 1,000 illegal eight-liner slot machines have been confiscated by authorities over the last few months.
There seems to be no end to the roundup that’s happening in both large cities and small towns throughout the Lone Star State.
The latest was a Dec. 14 bust in Nacogdoches that consisted of a series of seven raids at separate gambling establishments. They resulted in the confiscation of “numerous gambling instruments,” according to the Nacogdoches Police Department. Nacogdoches is about halfway between Dallas and Houston.
Only time will tell if these types of raids will decline anytime soon.
Raid in Nacogdoches follows raid in Angelina County
Texas law enforcement has ramped up over the last two years to shut down suspected illegal gambling operations.
Earlier this month, authorities in Angelina County confiscated several illegal gambling machines at an establishment called Pete’s Place after plain-clothes officers played on them. Angelina County is south of Nacogdoches.
The undercover officers observed the machines illegally paying out cash, a clear violation of state law.
Raids of illegal gambling operations unending in Texas
On Nov. 21, Amarillo police raided FortuneBay Game Room and seized evidence of an “illegal gambling operation.”
“An investigation into the property revealed that the location was being used as an illegal gambling location,” a police spokesperson said.
In early November, Homeland Security executed multiple search warrants and confiscated dozens of eight-liner machines in several cities and towns, including, Elsa, Houston, Sullivan City and Vidor.
One of the biggest busts in the last five years was in Amarillo in 2018 that resulted in the seizure of more than 700 machines.
Authorities conducted a search warrant in the 2500 block of Paramount Lane as part of “Operation Dark Windows.” It resulted in the closing of 30 illegal gaming establishments, authorities said.
