Chicago Busts Yield Poker Machines

February 10, 2009

According to Chicago police, they were able to confiscate several video poker machines during a series of raids. Police said that they have been tasked with the idea of getting rid of all illegal gambling, and during a series of illegal poker and gambling raids on businesses in the city’s southern suburbs, they have already found ten illegal sites.

Police said that they seized 31 video poker machines from the businesses during the series of raids that took place on Saturday. They have not yet made any arrests but they will be forthcoming. They are planning on going after and charging those employees who gave out the illegal payouts on the poker machines.

Those that are found guilty could be looking at a misdemeanor gambling charge and a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to one year in jail. There are those that are unhappy that they are going after the employees saying that in this economy they could not afford to be out of work so they had to do what their employers asked them to. They argue that if anyone is going to be charged it should be the owners of the establishments that are hosting the poker machines.

Sheriff’s said that the take from the day’s events was a little more than six thousand dollars from the poker machines. They took the poker machines from gas stations and liquor stores, as well as other establishments.