Add Recent intensified efforts to combat unregulated gambling have led authorities in Connecticut and Mississippi to uncover illegal operations, resulting in several arrests and charges.
Recent intensified efforts to combat unregulated gambling have led authorities in Connecticut and Mississippi to uncover illegal operations, resulting in several arrests and charges.
Police uncovered seven illegal gambling machines at Cocchia’s Liquor Store on Ely Avenue in Norwalk, Connecticut. According to The Hour, Felix Galinda-Castillo and Jose Gerado Fuentes-Lima were charged on August 7 in connection with the illegal gambling operation. The raid also revealed drugs hidden in the store’s beer cooler and two fake firearms.
The following day, WTVA 9 News reported a similar operation in Grenada County, Mississippi, where law enforcement discovered illegal gambling at AK Express on Highway 8 East. Amy Watson was arrested, and authorities from the Mississippi Gaming Commission and Alcoholic Beverage Control seized one machine while destroying the others.
Intensified efforts across the US
Connecticut and Mississippi are part of a broader national effort to combat illegal gambling. In Florida, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office recently dismantled 11 illegal casinos in a crackdown supported by the Florida Gaming Control Commission. During the operation, authorities confiscated 400 slot machines and $403,000 in cash.
Similarly, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has been active in targeting unlawful gambling. In April, the MGCB reported removing 167 gambling machines over the past year and filing charges against 24 individuals.
The MGCB emphasized the risks associated with unregulated gaming machines, noting that they leave citizens vulnerable to fraud and exploitation, as highlighted in a recent press release.
