Manatee County to weigh crackdown on illegal adult arcades after media investigation
By Josh Salman, Suncoast Searchlight
Manatee County soon will consider a plan to crack down on the illegal strip-mall casinos that have flourished in plain sight in defiance of a state ban — and to the frustration of local law enforcement.
Commissioner Tal Siddique, after meeting with sheriff’s office officials and the county attorney, said he will introduce a proposal at the Oct. 7 board of commissioners meeting to define the arcades more clearly under county law and create a licensing system to root out violators.
“It’s to differentiate the Dave and Busters of the world from Spin Fun Arcade,” Siddique said. “I think we all know the difference between the two. We need to make sure the law can differentiate — and specifically [weed] out the slot-style machines.”
The move comes on the heels of a joint investigation by Suncoast Searchlight and Bradenton Herald in July that revealed how these so-called “adult arcades” have evaded area law enforcement for years, closing down on one block just to reopen on another. Authorities say that’s because of the lengthy legal and financial hassle of dismantling these operations — and the minimal return, since arrests often result in just a misdemeanor.
Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells has signaled agreement with stricter local rules, with an agency spokesperson saying the sheriff “supports the idea of increased regulation on the operation of these businesses.”
Read the full investigation: Bright lights, no rules. Florida’s illegal gambling dens are hiding in plain sight
Despite decades of new state laws meant to shut down illegal gambling, arcade operators continue to thrive. Limited resources and light penalties make busts costly and ineffective, allowing arcade owners to brush off law enforcement interference, the news organizations reported.
These storefront casinos target fixed-income seniors with unregulated odds — sometimes refusing to pay jackpots — while doubling as magnets for drugs and crime. During the past five years alone, local law enforcement responded to hundreds of calls to these sites for burglaries, fights, stolen cars and overdoses, the joint investigation found.
Slot machines are banned everywhere in Florida except for about 15 licensed casinos, which are either tribe-owned or grandfathered in near the southern part of the state. Any other games of chance that offer cash jackpots are outlawed.
More from Suncoast Searchlight: Sign up for the weekly newsletter
Yet as of July reporters identified nearly 20 storefront casinos operating across the region, the majority of them tucked inside seedy plazas in pockets of Manatee County.
Siddique said that while rules on gambling restrictions are typically handled at the state level, the media organizations’ investigation spurred him to seek a local solution.
He researched ordinances in counties — like Marion, Sumter and Seminole — that have taken steps to curb the spread of illegal gambling. He also consulted with the county attorney to ensure any new restrictions comply with state laws that prevent local governments from tightening land codes and development regulations. And he asked sheriff’s representatives for data on these adult casinos, confirming findings of violent crime.
His proposal calls for a new licensing process that would require any businesses attempting to operate an arcade in Manatee to apply with the county, which would then have grounds to require inspections and penalize businesses with violations — without relying on evolving state statutes.
No businesses with “simulating gambling machines” would be approved, he said.
The new arcade rules would make it easier for either county officials or law enforcement to inspect and shut down these operations, Siddique said. He plans to cite the Suncoast Searchlight and Bradenton Herald investigation in his pitch to other commissioners.
“There were complications since the state statutes have evolved,” Siddique said. “I had to do a little research and think outside the box … It’s my job to present this to the board, give them an argument of why we should do this, and hope for the best.”
Manatee County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Randy Warren confirmed in an email that Wells supports the idea.
In the meantime, detectives continue to gather intelligence and monitor arcade-style establishments and remain on the lookout for new ones that may be opening, Warren said.
Less than one month following the media organizations’ investigation, deputies seized more than $160,000 in cash and dozens of slot machines during the raid of Good Times Arcade in Bradenton after receiving a tip and conducting undercover visits.
“The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office works closely with the Florida Gaming Control Commission to educate the people who operate these so-called “game rooms” about what constitutes illegal gambling,” Warren said in the email. “They understand the law and the penalties.
“Businesses that are breaking state law have been warned, and they know that if they don’t cease illegal operations on their own, then detectives could show up at any time and shut them down.”
Bob Jarvis, a professor at Nova Southeastern University who specializes in gambling law, said local counties can take these failing state gambling laws into their own hands. But he said it takes dedication to enforce the rules.
Other municipalities have been hesitant to pursue such laws, fearing possible backlash from constituents who don’t see the dangers in nickel slots, he said.
“You have to be very committed,” Jarvis said, “and let these operators know your county has a zero tolerance policy.”
This story was produced by Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit newsroom of the Community News Collaborative serving Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. Learn more at suncoastsearchlight.org.
