SAN ANTONIO – The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office shut down a North Side gaming room Tuesday, accusing it of running an undercover gambling operation.
However, the owner of Blessed Sweepstakes on Hildebrand Avenue told KSAT that it was not a gambling operation, and says she is now out thousands after the raid.
Carrie Gutierrez said she was transparent from the start about her business, and said she believed it was a legal operation.
“The city knew exactly what we were opening,” Gutierrez said. “We did the renovations and everything to get it going. We (paid) state taxes on the stickers, each machine.”
“We got our certificate of occupancy,” Gutierrez continued, “so no one ever said, ‘Hey, stop. No, you can’t do this.’”
Three people were arrested and eight others were given citations Tuesday, the sheriff’s office said.
Gutierrez said she is providing assistance for Kambry Ybarra, Alissa Arenas, and Anthony Vera, who were the three employees arrested during the raid.
All three are charged with gambling promotion, possession of gambling device/equipment/paraphernalia, and engaging in organized crime.
“My girls that got arrested, of course, I paid to get them out jail. I’m paying for the lawyers.”
During the raid, Gutierrez said deputies deactivated all 50 of her 8-liner machines. While she helps her employees and continues to pay for renovations, she said she may also be out $80,000.
Gutierrez expressed confusion about why the sheriff’s office targeted her business, saying that there are game rooms all over San Antonio.
The sheriff’s office said the operation was illegal because “gambling winners were awarded sets of beads, representing a specific cash value. These beads were then exchanged for U.S. dollars.”
“While some operators believe these indirect payout systems bypass state law,” the statement continued, “the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind the public and business owners that such practices remain a criminal offense.
“Whether an operator pays out in cash, check, or a physical item (like beads or tickets) that is later redeemed for cash,” the statement said, “it is classified as Gambling Promotion and/or Keeping a Gambling Place.”
Gutierrez said on top of the business’s legal troubles, thieves also used a sledgehammer to break through a back wall of the business, targeting an ATM inside the building. The ATM was empty.
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