ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Two people are in custody after investigators said a St. Lucie County business was conducting an illegal gambling operation.
At about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, detectives executed a search warrant at the Beach Side Social Club, located in the 11000 block of South Ocean Drive.
Inside the arcade, the sheriff's office said they removed 20 machines and arrested two people, whose names have not been released.
"This is an illegal operation. I just want to make that perfectly clear," St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said. "This is illegal. Why? Because money goes to the front desk. It goes digitally back to the machine and when a win occurs, they go to the front desk and collect their money. That is called gambling."
This is the latest business shut down this year following accusations of illegal gambling.
Seven people, including two from Palm Beach County and one from St. Lucie County, were arrested in May after the Florida Gaming Control Commission announced the bust of multiple illegal gambling operations in the state, including in Delray Beach and Fort Pierce.
Deputies raided and closed Rio Arcade, located on U.S. 1, on Sept. 14.
That was followed by a Sept. 26 raid at the Treasure Bay Arcade in St. Lucie County where authorities said they planned to charge 17 people.
If you have any information related to illegal gambling in St. Lucie County, the public is urged to contact detectives at 772-462-3230 or call Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 772-273-TIPS.
