An operation across Lee and Collier counties dubbed Sunset Stakes resulted in the closing of 479 illegal gaming machines, $294,150 in unlawful profit confiscated, and 11 arrests.
That outcome was highlighted Wednesday by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier at a media briefing in Naples.
“Illegal gambling operations pose a threat to public safety and undermine our compact with the Seminole Tribe, which provides billions of dollars to the state to protect our environmental resources,” Uthmeier said.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, and Florida Gaming Control Commission Chair Julie Brown stood by while Uthmeier explained that the operation was considered a success.
The investigation effort was led by the sheriff’s offices, Gaming Control Commission, and the Office of Statewide Prosecution.
“This coordinated, multi-agency effort led by the Florida Gaming Control Commission, working alongside the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Attorney General’s Office, shows the residents of Southwest Florida that we are a law-and-order state,” Marceno said.
Lee alone produced more than $107,000, six arrests, and 226 machines, while Collier contributed more than $185,000, five arrests, and over 250 machines.
While the primary subject of the briefing was illegal gambling, Uthmeier said these operations pose greater threats than exclusively illegal gaming, including human trafficking and large-scale drug operations.
“These games can kind of be the face of a very evil network that’s going on behind the screen, and it’s going to vary on a case-by-case basis, but typically there’s more than what meets the eye,” Uthmeier said.
The officials also talked about how the current misdemeanor penalty for illegal gambling practices is not strict enough, as a bill in Tallahassee that would have increased penalties failed to pass this session. It would have bolstered the penalties for illicit gambling operators to a third-degree felony with up to five years in prison.
Florida Gaming Control Commission Chair Julie Brown said that because of the operation’s success, support, and collaboration, the commission will establish a new law enforcement squad in Southwest Florida in the coming year, “expanding our ability to confront illegal gambling and protect Floridians from those who would exploit our communities for profit.”
Since the start of this year, Uthmeier and the commission have guided a “statewide crackdown” on illegal gaming operations, confiscating more than 3,100 unlawful machines, $1.7 million in illicit funds, and arresting more than 80 people for illegal gambling in the process.
For more information on current regulations, go to Florida Statutes.
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