Oklahoma gambling raid may be tip of iceberg
Thousands of machines believed to be in state
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BY RON JACKSON
Published: October 30, 2008
State investigators spent Wednesday taking inventory from a Tuesday raid that netted 41 unlicensed gaming machines, promotional documents and more than $17,000 in cash from five metro-area bars and restaurants.
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Who enforces them?
Each business either held or had applied for a license to conduct off-track wagering, thus falling under the jurisdiction of the Horse Racing Commission and opening itself up to inspection. Off-track wagering allows people to gamble on live horse races via satellite.
But agents said there is a lot of "grey area” in jurisdictional enforcement of gaming machines.
"If they gave us the resources and the manpower to take care of it, we would,” the agent said. "But all we have is a shoestring budget. I’d estimate there are anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 of these devices operating in the state. Let’s just say each is making $250 a day. Do the math.”
Why are they illegal?
Constantin Rieger, the agency’s executive director, said there is no way to know how many such gaming machines are in operation statewide.
Rieger said he marvels at how the business owners are able to pawn the machines off as "amusement games” or "sweepstakes games” on which patrons can purchase a "phone card” and then play for cash winnings.
"To me, the legal definition is clear,” Rieger said. "The games are illegal.”
The State-Tribal Gaming Act allows only two entities to operate gaming machines in Oklahoma — tribal nations and licensed horse- racing tracks.
"In this jurisdiction, if there are businesses out there operating these machines in violation of the law, we will go after them,” Oklahoma County district attorney David Prater said of the operations.
Prater will review the evidence from the raid to determine whether charges will be filed.
Undercover agents have been startled by how boldly business owners promoted their games.
‘No one’s untouchable’
Rockafella’s Pools & Games, from which agents confiscated 31 games and $9,800 Tuesday, advertised its gaming experience in a magazine titled the "Bingo Newsline of Oklahoma.”
The magazine ad boasted "for every $1,000 in, we pay $720.”
A sign was taken from Rockafella’s that read: "Cashier must verify all winning points before cashing out. If cashier doesn’t verify points, the points will not be paid until an audit is performed.”
Agents who played the machines while working undercover said the points translated to dollars in a game of chance.
"The message?” one agent said.
"The message is no one’s untouchable.”
Related Topics:
Sports, Horse Racing
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