 "Photo: Dusten Cook")
Illegal gambling is increasingly becoming a target of the Austin Police Department, which conducted 40 searches and arrested six people Wednesday in connection with an 18-month investigation of a gambling business enterprise.
The department's Organized Crime Unit
confiscated 706 gambling
machines that it says were rigged so the people who played them had no opportunity of winning anything. While it is against Texas penal code to gamble for money, it is within one's rights to win up to $5 in store credit or prizes such as toys and novelty items.
APD also announced that it seized six cars and performed nine searches of individuals to look for money and other gambling proceeds. Those who were arrested were also charged with violations other than gambling including unpaid child support, drugs and theft.
Police began investigating the scheme when they received numerous calls from families concerned about husbands and wives spending their entire paychecks to win jackpots that didn't exist, said APD Chief Stan Knee. Police also said the callers complained about an increase in crime in the areas due to the gambling operations. Once the investigation began growing, APD called federal law enforcement organizations to help in the investigation.
In the 40 raids, police suspect that tens of thousands of dollars were being reaped by a company setting up the faulty machines in convenience stores and gaming rooms. APD declined to name the company, citing the ongoing investigation.
"We're going to have to wait for the IRS for real figures," said Harold Piatt, commander of the Organized Crime Unit.
According to APD, the IRS is investigating for possible tax fraud, and the FBI is investigating alleged money laundering.
"You have to watch the activity around the machines," Piatt said.
If you watch four people stand there and play for an hour, and none of them wins more than $5, you know something is wrong, he said.
The department said the majority of people falling victim to the crimes were immigrants believing they could double their money when winning was impossible with the machines.
The police have not currently filed charges against the business organization involved but do anticipate filing additional charges in the future.
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