FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Another unlicensed arcade, Sweepstakes, was closed down by the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday.
The arcade, in the 2200 block of North U.S. 1 in downtown Fort Pierce, is the fourth one shut down in the county in six weeks. Deputies and agents with the Florida Gaming Commission removed 51 machines.
A sign outside the property said it was open.
“This has been an arcade for a while,” Sheriff Ken Mascara said. “Two weeks ago, they closed and changed their name to Sweepstakes.”
It previously was called Sunshine Arcade.
Mascara said arcade managers or owners added decals to the machines falsely indicating that players were now donating money, not gambling.
“Last July, they made these arcades illegal," Mascara said. "We diplomatically tried to address the illegal operation of these in our county, and it has fallen on deaf ears, and it’s time to take action.
State
Active investigations stopped warnings to arcades over illegal activity
Mascara said when their operation started there were about 40 sites and "now we’re down to about eight."
The sheriff told WPTV reporter Jon Shainman deputies plan to go out weekly shutting them down "until there are no more illegal arcades in the county."
“So the message here is if you’re open: close because we’re tired of doing this," Mascar added.
State
Arcades warned about illegal slot machines; some still operating
The owner of the arcade could potentially be fined up to $10,000 per machine, according to Daniel DeCourc,, the Florida Gaming Control Commission chief of law enforcement.
There are only a few legal gambling facilities in the state that include slot machines, including those run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
In Broward they are The Big Easy Casino in Hallandale Beach (former Hollywood Greyhound Track), Casino @ Dania Beach (summer jai-lai), Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino, Harrah's Pompano Beach (former Pompano Park racing), Seminole Coconut Creek, Hard Rock Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino Hollywood.
In Miami-Dade they are Calder Casino & Race Course, Casino Miami (former Miami Jai-Alai Fronton), Hialeah Park Racing and Casino, Miami Jai-Alai, Magic City Casino (formerly Flagler Dog Track).
In Okeechobee County, there is Seminole Casino Brighton.
Agents with the Florida Gaming Control Commission say these arcades aren't just illegal but also predatory.
”These illegal gambling sites do not follow the rules," special agent supervisor John Labandera said. "No. 1, they don’t pay taxes. No. 2, they set the machines to lose 98% of the time or even 100%.
"The problem is especially with compulsive gamblers. They lose all their money and there is no civil recourse to get it back because the site is illegal."
Previusly shut down were Beach Side Social Club on Hutchinson Island, Treasure Bay Arcade in northern St. Lucie County and Rio Arcade in Port St. Lucie.
