The Volusia Sheriff’s Office has seized hundreds of illegal gambling machines and $97,000 in cash, the agency announced late last week. The sting was connected to a regional investigation spanning several counties and agencies into alleged illegal gambling operations. Seven businesses in Volusia County were raided as part of the investigation. They’re accused of running gambling machines that send profits to overseas operatives engaged in human trafficking, drug running, money laundering, and more. “These are illegal,” Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. “They take your money, they money launder it, and they send it overseas to be used against our country. So when you’re in there thinking you’re making fifty bucks, they’re sending hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars overseas.” The initiative was deemed ‘Operation Reel of Fortune’. It was carried out by local law enforcement agencies in Northeast Florida in cooperation with the Florida Attorney General’s Office and the Florida Gaming Control Commission. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office also announced that they’d raided three businesses in this same investigation. 39 total businesses were hit in Operation Reel of Fortune, resulting in the seizure of 525 machines and around $190,000 in cash. 225 of those machines were in Volusia County alone, as was $97,000 of the cash. The counties covered were Volusia, Flagler, Brevard, and Duval. The businesses that the Volusia Sheriff’s Office raided in Operation Reel of Fortune are as follows. Buzzard’s Roost (2748 Elkcam Blvd, Deltona) Murphy’s Bar (1200 Deltona Blvd, Deltona) Old Glenwood Grocery (2534 N. Spring Garden Ave, DeLand) Old Papi’s Bar (1376 N. Nova Rd, Daytona Beach) Preview Games (2411 Enterprise Rd, Orange City) Sea Drift Sports Bar (1368 Ocean Shore Blvd, Ormond Beach) Stop & Save (1020 S. Nova Rd, Ormond Beach)
VSO Seizes $97k & 225 Machines in Illegal Gambling Sting
