Illegal gambling machines preyed on low-income Pierce County residents, investigators say
Illegal gambling machines and cash were seized at five businesses in Tacoma, Lakewood and Seattle this week, according to the Washington State Gambling Commission. The commission said machine owners used them to prey on residents of low-income neighborhoods.
Agents and local law enforcement seized seven machines and $2,317 on Tuesday while carrying out search warrants at the businesses, mostly gas stations and smoke shops. No arrests were made, Gambling Commission spokesperson Troy Kirby said, and an investigation is ongoing.
The machines were all the same type, according to Kirby, and they sold cards loaded with funds that could be added to online gaming accounts. There, the user could play illegal gambling games.
“You tell me whether or not that game of chance is what you think it is,” Kirby said.
Online gambling is illegal in Washington, and the commission said ownership of an illegal gambling device is considered second-degree professional gambling, a felony.
The gambling commission didn’t disclose where the search warrants were executed. It described the locations as “predominantly low-income neighborhoods.” Kirby said enforcement action tends to make businesses think twice about allowing someone to install a machine.
“We are not there to kick in doors. We’re not there to really go after, you know, the poorest of the poor,” Kirby said. “But if somebody’s actively doing this ownership-wise we’ll go after them. Because they’re preying on people.”
