Two gaming establishments in St. Petersburg were raided and shut down for illegal gambling in a joint action by the Florida Gaming Control Commission and local police. According to the St. Petersburg Police Department's Facebook post, enforcement operations were conducted on Tuesday last week at the Fun Arcade on 16th Street South and the 49th Street Arcade.
Authorities seized 30 slot machines, five fish tables, and over $15,000 in cash from Fun Arcade. At 49th Street Arcade, 29 machines, one fish table, and about $4,000 in cash were confiscated. The proprietors — Ghazwan Samaan, Anthony Jamel Abuead, and Angela D. Sutton — face charges of keeping a gambling house and possession of slot machines.
Florida restricts slot machine operations to authorized locations, such as designated pari-mutuel facilities in certain counties and six establishments owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The Florida Gaming Control Commission encourages the public to report suspected illegal gambling through its website, email, or phone.
