Undercover state agents descended on six metro bars and restaurants simultaneously Tuesday to execute warrants in a search for illegal gaming machines.
Featured Video
Advertisement
State Horse Racing Commission investigators choreographed the raids in Oklahoma City and Midwest City, culminating a two-month investigation that targeted businesses licensed or applying for a license to conduct off-track wagering. More than 50 casino-style electronic games were confiscated during the sting, including 31 machines at Rockafella’s Pools & Games on S Meridian in Oklahoma City.
Computers, machine cards and bags of cash also were seized. No arrests were made in connection with the machines, but agents said the businesses’ owners would ultimately be the subject of any criminal complaints.
“These are all-cash businesses,” said Constantin Rieger, the agency’s executive director. “They pay no state tax; no funds are going into an education fund; and we believe they take away from the horse racing tracks. “We’re just looking out for the state’s interest.”
Raid stuns patrons
Patrons at Zeke’s Sports Grill sat stunned as armed state and local authorities entered to search the building and shut down eight games.
Agents seized about $800 in cash. Several patrons continued to nurse their beverages, saying they were unaware the games were illegal.
One 68-year-old woman with a walker was playing a game when agents entered the business.
“I’m scared,” said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous.
“I didn’t know the games were illegal. I come here all the time. Today it was either go to Dillard’s to look for a sale, or come here to play.”
Moments later, the woman asked, “Can I finish my game?” An agent smiled and said, “No, ma’am.”
What’s the penalty?
Zeke’s owner Mike Yones calmly cooperated with investigators. If charged with the operation of commercial gaming, Yones could face up to 10 years in prison or a $25,000 fine, or both.
“I was told they were legal,” Yones said. “They have sweepstakes cards and everything. ... They’re in every bar in the city.”
One agent who worked undercover during the investigation said the games are no different than those that might be found at the Lucky Star Casino or Remington Park, in the respect that they pay out. Patrons merely take their “machine cards” to someone like a bartender and “cash them out.”
“I went into one place with $40,” said the agent who asked to remain anonymous. “I walked away with $264.”
Three Taiwan-based companies are supplying the electronic games, agents said. The games feature titles like “Black Beard,” “Stone Age,” “Cherry Master” and “Captain Cannon,” and even have a valid Oklahoma Tax Commission sticker affixed — an element that Rieger said doesn’t make the game legal.
Surrounded by sports memorabilia and bigscreen televisions, Rieger looked around the bar and concluded, “It’s a pretty nice little place except for the illegal games.”
CONTRIBUTING:
STAFF WRITER JAY MARKS
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse...I think I've heard that somewhere before. If you're going to run a business, learn the rules or pay the consequences. Quit whining and just suck it up. That's one of the main problems today, nothing is anyone's fault, it's always someone else's. Whatever! Grow up.
kimberly, The children's coin pushers DO give them rewards that don't amount to a hill of beans though. A very good friend ran a bar with a machine called a "Cherry Picker" or some such. His wife was a correction's officer and neither of them had any idea they were illegal because they had tax stamps. If they were illegal why were the stamps issued? And you said what I implied-"Equality!!!" The bingo places have phone cards. Are they illegal also being run by WHITE people? I've only been at Remington Park a few times and my WHITE wife worked there for a short time, so not ALL casinos in Okla. are for Indian tribes only. I still say gambling is gambling. Allow it all or none to be fair.
Kimberly I agree with you. However, has anyone actaully set up a way to have these guys that play these machines to pay taxes and the companys that have the machines pay taxes. I know of several people that go to remington and they dont pay taxes on what they win unless its over a certain amount. I am sure that the businesses that were raided were required to pay taxes, they would pay. Sounds like to me that OHRC or who ever... needs to create another commission to work on a plan to get this tax paying idea in gear. The raid should be with the companys that are supplying these machines to businesses for intertainment. Start with the first wrong.... it might make it right!!
Floyd.. Your point of view (and yes, i know it is your "freedom of speech", to say what you want) is skewed. Coin pusher as you call them doesnt reward or entice the user with monetary rewards or offerings. And Racism... come on... no one is saying because a person is red white or blue that they can or can not gamble. But if these places want to set up the machines, then they need to pay taxes and contribute to the education system like the real casinos do. Equality!!!
in the case of Zekes--have him show you his books. I would be astonished if he was making less that 10K a week off these machines. He knows how the business works and the risks involved.
Remington is "legal" and regulated. These Businesses are not. They are maintained by individuals posing as Vendors of Phone Cards.
These machines bring profits that are keeping the small business owners in business and able to open their doors. Not saying that we should pull them out, only saying that we need some regulation around it.
as a separate comment to my last-certain machines have been ruled as "legal" under the phone card setting. Cherry machines, Leapin frogs, etc. are not approved and therefore considered illegal-even if they distribute a phone card because they are the old machines that came out of the Indian Casinos and were purchaesed by locals.
these business owners know EXACTLY what is going on. They are reaping the rewards of tax free money and claim ignorance of the law? Sorry. This has been on/off Praters laundry list for the last few years and business owners have been warned. They know the risk when they are wheeled into their place of business.
Yes [bold]why[/bold] the OHRC(Remington) believe they were taking money away from the purses at the track by the machines paying out money that should be going towards the racetrack and the OK lottery education fund. If that's the case which it's sounds like it is yeah it's wrong and should be dealt with but not like it has been.
Yeah I know the Owner of Zeke's and they took a little(read a crapload) more than 800$ as reported. The owners of the machines are who they should go after IMO, they are the ones slapping OTC stickers on them making them seem legit and convincing the bar owners. Maybe I'm a little biased. But it's not like I'm buddies with this guy, I just know who he is and have talked to him. And hope he doesn't get screwed. I guess I won't be on that jury.. :) The whole thing just stinks of a publicity/political stunt. And we wonder why people are so on edge. Another one of the many reasons we can add to the list. Common sense goes a long way sometimes.
Okay, so there were a couple of reasons the Horse Racing Commission made the raids--No.1-Publicity--No.2--They get to keep and sell at auction everything they confiscate, therefore, expanding their budget.
They got rid of the coin pusher machines but I took my nephews to 3 different amusement centers and the coin pushers and other gambling devices were still there for children to get addicted to gambling. The only difference is they use tokens that cost a quarter instead of an actual quarter. I don't know why they aren't raided.
According to state statue,OHRC agents are just like OSBI, ABLE, etc. They are state agents, but assigned to regulate gaming, racing, etc. Im sure they are understaffed and underpayed just like every state agency is, people that have these machines need to take warning and remove them now before they get caught.
Floyd, No actually I didn't... Being in Oklahoma I'm registered Dem.(would rather be Independent sans OK voting laws) so In the Primaries I voted Edwards,(cause I'm required by OK law to vote for my party in the primaries, as I'm sure you know already) in the general election Nader each time, Election before that Clinton. This is the first election that I can remember that I actually agree with a Candidate on a lot of issues, since Clinton(at this moment in time)I was born when Carter was elected, he was a winner, I don't think BHO is the end-all-be all but hopefully a good step in the right direction. If he has the time to do some of that before some crazy red neck(not there is anything wrong with being a redneck)it's the extremists ones that give rednecks a bad name and will start taking shots at a certain candidate. Much like how Extremist Muslims and just regular 'ol Muslims are considered to be guilty by association(stereotyped). Until people quit thinking like that we are going to have problems, and I don't believe that will happen real soon. Invading other countries preemptively and totally screwing things up for that country(and our own for that matter in the process) and relations to so many different ethnic groups and governments, is not what I think America should be about. There is one main reason why so many do not like the West or even hate the West, and I believe they have good reason to. Do I believe they are going about things the proper way either? No I don't. Major changes need to happen in a lot of American's thinking for us to continue growing as a nation.
There is at least one of these machines in every convenience store I go to in Guthrie. Except for Loves. And they are in every bar. People go to the bar, not to drink, but to win money. It is cheaper to go there and lose $100 than to drive to Perkin's casino and lose $100 + gas money. I watch people play all the time. It is entertaining.
Of course, if there is state-sanctioned gambling, un-sanctioned gambling is illegal. The thing that kills me is the overkill Oklahoma uses in these cases. I'll bet the bar owner would have shut those games down with a nice certified letter. The 100 plus officers that raided the horse track in Marietta was comedic in its epic scale. Just find the owner/manager, put him in cuffs and call it a day. But why spend a $1,000 when there's a $1,000,000 operation to stage!
Mike, don't tell me you voted for algore or the haughty french-looking dude? It's been a while since there's been a very palatable choice for most of us. And this election could be the worst "lesser of two evils" since 72.
40
Featured Video
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).
These machines bring profits that are keeping the small business owners in business and able to open their doors. Not saying that we should pull them out, only saying that we need some regulation around it.
Wonder when the "Oklahoma Garage Sale Commission" is going to set up their raids???
Mike, don't tell me you voted for algore or the haughty french-looking dude? It's been a while since there's been a very palatable choice for most of us. And this election could be the worst "lesser of two evils" since 72.