Hundreds of slot machines taken in illegal gambling bust in Florida
POLICE AND STATE AGENTS ARE TALLYING THE NUMBERS ON LAST NIGHT’S RAIDS IN LAKE COUNTY. THEY WERE TARGETING ILLEGAL GAMBLING AND SEIZED HUNDREDS OF MACHINES AND CASH WITH THE OWNERS OR MANAGERS OF THE BUSINESSES NOW FACING TRIAL. TWO OF THE BUSTS WERE IN LEESBURG AND ONE IN UMATILLA, WESH 2 NEWS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER GREG FOX IS LIVE AT ONE OF THE LEESBURG LOCATIONS. GREG. THIS 1ST MAY HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE CASE AGAINST FORMER SHERIFF MARCOS LOPEZ. IT COULD, AS YOU KNOW, THE FORMER SHERIFF IS CHARGED AND FACING TRIAL ON ALLEGED RACKETEERING CHARGES RELATED TO GAMBLING AND HOT SEATS, WHICH IS WHAT THIS PLACE WAS CALLED. IS NAMED IN AT LEAST ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS IN THE LOPEZ CASE. A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING BY, FRANKLY, TODAY TO TUG ON THE DOOR AND THINKING THAT IT MIGHT STILL BE OPEN, AND THEN WALKING AWAY LOOKING DISAPPOINTED. IT WAS DESCRIBED BY THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE AS A MINI CASINO UNTIL IT WAS RAIDED LAST NIGHT. THE LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, FLORIDA GAMING CONTROL COMMISSION AND LOCAL POLICE RAIDED THREE PLACES THURSDAY NIGHT, SEIZING 231 SLOT MACHINES AND MORE THAN $150,000. THEY ALSO HANDED OUT NOTICES TO APPEAR IN COURT TO MORE THAN HALF A DOZEN PEOPLE. INVESTIGATORS CLAIM WERE RUNNING THE OPERATIONS, SO THEY DID RECEIVE NOTICE TO APPEARS AND THE CHARGES INCLUDE POSSESSION OF A SLOT MACHINE AND KEEPING OF A GAMBLING HOUSE. THIS IS HOW IT LOOKED AT HOT SEATS THROUGH THE LENS OF CHARLES HUNT’S CELL PHONE. AS LAW ENFORCEMENT SWARMED THE AREA, THEY TOOK ALL THE GAMES AND ALL THE COMPUTERS OUT OF THE PLACE, AND THEN THE SHERIFF’S DETECTIVES TOOK ALL THE MONEY. HOT SEATS, WHICH LOCALS TELL US IS NOW CALLED HOT SPOT, IS MENTIONED IN AT LEAST ONE COURT DOCUMENT INVOLVING FORMER OSCEOLA COUNTY SHERIFF MARCOS LOPEZ, WHO WAS CHARGED WITH RACKETEERING RELATED TO ILLEGAL GAMBLING. IT’S A DISCOVERY DOCUMENT FILED BY THE STATE, AND RIGHT THERE INCLUDES HOT SEATS ARCADE. BUT THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS NOT SURE THE LOPEZ CASE IS RELATED TO THURSDAY’S RAIDS. I DON’T HAVE MUCH INFORMATION ON THAT AT THE MOMENT. I JUST KNOW THAT WHEN WE SPOKE TO THE FLORIDA GAMING CONTROL COMMISSION, THEY DIDN’T ADVISE THAT IT WAS RELATED. WE’RE ALONG WEST MAIN STREET IN LEESBURG, AND THAT’S WHERE DETECTIVES SAY YOU’LL FIND THE HUB. APPARENTLY IT USED TO BE CALLED THE SOCIAL CLUB, AND IT’S GOT A PADLOCK ON THE DOOR. NOW YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE CRIME SCENE TAPE IS STILL LEFT BEHIND FROM THURSDAY NIGHT, WHEN AGENTS SEIZED 98 SLOT MACHINES AND MORE THAN $46,000. AGENTS ALSO SERVED NOTICES TO TWO PEOPLE WHO RUN THE PLACE TO APPEAR IN COURT AND IN UMATILLA. HOUSE OF TREASURER WAS SHUT DOWN, WITH DEPUTIES SEIZING 56 MACHINES AND MORE THAN $75,000 FOR PEOPLE HERE WERE SERVED. NOTICES TO APPEAR IN COURT FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FCC. THESE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS DEMONSTRATE OUR COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING FLORIDA COMMUNITIES AND PRESERVING THE INTEGRITY OF THE STATE’S GAMING LAWS. AND THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE WANTS TO STRESS THIS WAS ALL THE RESULT. EVERYTHING THAT RESULTED IN THE SHUTDOWN OF THIS PLACE AND THE OTHER TWO PLACES, THE RESULT OF PEOPLE CALLING TO COMPLAIN. YOU CAN DO THAT BY CALLING THE GAMING COMMISSION, OR YOU CAN DO THAT BY CALLING LOCAL POLICE. AND YOU CAN ALSO DO IT ANONYMOUSLY. COVERING LAKE COUNTY LIVE IN LEESBURG GREG FOX WESH TWO NEWS RIGHT NOW SUSPENDED OSCEOLA COUNTY SHERIFF MARCOS LOPEZ IS OUT ON BOND AWAITING TRIAL. LOPEZ IS NOW THE ONLY CODEFENDANT IN THE CASE LEFT WITHOUT A PLEA DEAL. THERE’S STILL NO TRIAL DATE SET AS ATTORNEYS CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH EVIDENCE.
Hundreds of slot machines taken in illegal gambling bust in Florida
Updated: 4:08 PM EST Jan 9, 2026
Hot Seats, a Leesburg business located at 25327 US-27 #202, was reportedly raided Thursday night, with a large deputy presence observed at around 8 p.m., according to a witness on the scene. A witness sent video to WESH 2 showing gaming machines being removed from the building by deputies and loaded into a semitruck.The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Gaming Commission have been contacted for more information regarding the incident.LCSO responded, saying they are working with state officials on obtaining and executing search warrants at casinos and should have more information on Friday morning.Hot Seats is mentioned in a discovery document related to the Marcos Lopez illegal gambling case.The document indicates that the Florida Gaming Control Commission has referenced Hot Seats in letters, though it does not specify the exact nature of its connection to the case.>> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.
LEESBURG, Fla. —
Hot Seats, a Leesburg business located at 25327 US-27 #202, was reportedly raided Thursday night, with a large deputy presence observed at around 8 p.m., according to a witness on the scene.
A witness sent video to WESH 2 showing gaming machines being removed from the building by deputies and loaded into a semitruck.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Gaming Commission have been contacted for more information regarding the incident.
LCSO responded, saying they are working with state officials on obtaining and executing search warrants at casinos and should have more information on Friday morning.
Hot Seats is mentioned in a discovery document related to the Marcos Lopez illegal gambling case.
The document indicates that the Florida Gaming Control Commission has referenced Hot Seats in letters, though it does not specify the exact nature of its connection to the case.
>> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.