JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two Jacksonville residents are charged with keeping a gambling house after the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it raided an illegal business on the city’s Northside.
The man and woman were arrested Friday night at the business on Haverford Road.
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According to arrest reports, JSO executed a search warrant on Oct. 3 on behalf of its vice unit. Police said the search revealed illegal gambling machines inside the location. The machines were seized and turned over to the Florida Gaming Commission at the scene.
JSO also said money was seized from the machines.
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The reports also stated that members of the JSO vice unit have noted a growing number of illegal gambling establishments in the Duval County area. In the past, these types of businesses have been marked as “internet cafes,” “adult arcades,” or “internet sweepstakes,” or sometimes not marked at all. Often, investigators say these establishments have no visible markings or advertising indicating what the business actually is.
JSO said it has also noted an increase in crime associated with these illegal establishments.
Patrol officers in Duval County have responded to these gambling locations for various crimes, including homicides, shootings, robberies, and burglaries. Because these illegal gambling establishments often possess large sums of cash on site, many employ armed security guards, according to the Sheriff’s Office.