A raid at three locations in Jacksonville and Orange Park seized what the Florida Gaming Control Commission called 230 illegal slot machines, 23 fish tables and additional digital media and related equipment.<\/p>\n
For fish tables, players aim to shoot different fish types swimming across the screen using a virtual cannon or gun. Bigger and rarer fish yield higher scores and rewards.<\/p>\n
Dubbed\u00a0“Operation Funny Money,” the coordinated enforcement action by commission, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s Homeland Security Investigations\u00a0 and the Internal Revenue Service targeted illegal gambling activity<\/a> on Dec. 11 in Northeast Florida.<\/p>\n Investigators executed search warrants at Discount Fashion Arcade at 5530 Timuquana Road in Jacksonville and two Clay County sites at 69 College Drive and 1212 Blanding Blvd., according to the Gaming Control Commission. No arrests were announced.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will take the vital, necessary steps to shut down illegal casinos that are popping up across Florida,” said Florida Gaming Control Commission Executive Director Alana Zimmer. “Our agents are constantly working to permanently close the doors of illegal gambling establishments, and we appreciate the collaboration with our federal partners.\u201d<\/p>\n The devices were transported to a storage facility for evidentiary purposes. Proceeds recovered from machines were collected and documented by evidence technicians as part of the ongoing federal investigation.<\/p>\n Jacksonville has a history of gaming operation raids<\/a> for years, having\u00a0outlawed<\/a>\u00a0any use of \u201csimulated gambling devices\u201d that were common in internet cafes before a 2019 law change, but new gaming operations continue to emerge to meet public demand.<\/p>\n Homeland Security Investigations served as the lead agency in this month’s seizures.<\/p>\n Florida law authorizes gambling machines to only be offered at eight licensed pari-mutel facilities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties\u00a0and at certain facilities operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, according to the Gaming Control Commission. It is against the law to offer slot machine gaming or any unauthorized gambling at an unlicensed facility in Florida. A map of authorized locations is available at\u00a0FLGaming.gov\/locations<\/a>.<\/p>\n The mission is to preserve and protect the integrity of gaming activities in Florida through fair regulation, licensing, effective criminal investigation and enforcement. Any concerns about illegal gambling activities or facilities in Florida can be reported online at\u00a0FLGaming.gov\/File-a-Report<\/a>, by email at\u00a0Tipline@FLGaming.gov<\/a> or by phone at (850) 880-3433.<\/p>\n