A gambling bust has resulted in twenty-two people being arrested in connection with illegal gaming in Texas.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office reported that sixty gaming machines were seized, alongside $67,350. Citations and charges were filed in connection with the bust that occurred at Royal Room 777 on the 2300 block of East Southcross Boulevard.
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KSAT’s initial story on the bust included an in-depth interview with Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar. He spoke of the mechanics involved in the illegal activity, as well as the parties who were responsible.
According to Salazar, the bust included 18 gamblers and four Royal Room 777 employees.
“It was one business establishment, but broken into two,” he said. “One part had the machines where people gamble, on the other part, what seems to be the money side of the operation.”
Randy Hinojosa, Jason Garcia, and Jacqueline Gonzalez are three of the four employees held and will face charges.
The Sheriff’s Office charged the trio with gambling promotion, maintaining a gambling establishment, possessing a gambling paraphernalia device, and engaging in gambling-organized crime.
The fourth employee, Jeannete Zavala, was accused of denying admittance to the home and “locking doors” to prevent police from entering.
Bexar County cracks down on gambling den
Salazar said, “For what seems like legal reasons, they (Royal Room 777) were trying to keep some separation between the two. We are looking at filing a possible engagement in organized criminal activity as well.”
The eighteen players at the gambling operation were all handed Class C citations, which are misdemeanors in Texas.
According to the Bexar County Sheriff, the two establishments attempted to exploit legal gaps in the state legislature by varying the distance between the playing and payout spaces.
“You play over here, but you don’t receive the payment over here; they (Royal Room 777) give you a token to go over to the next business and redeem that token for cash payment. That is what makes it illegal,” continued the Sheriff.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is now looking for the establishment’s owner(s) as part of a larger investigation.
“We know that this is a busy business strip center, and we would ask for people to be patient with us as we conduct this operation,” concluded Salazar.
In related news, the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) seized 249 illicit slot machines and $194,262 in “suspected gambling” revenues in Port Richey.
“Illegal casinos are not part of regulated gaming in Florida. These operations exploit vulnerable individuals, create an uneven playing field for lawful businesses, and bring unwanted crime and disorder to the communities in which they operate,” said Director of Gaming Enforcement at the FGCC, Carol Herold.