| | |  | Last Updated: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 |  | | | Undercover Operation Reveals County-wide Gambling Operation
- Friday, 7 Jul 2006
Gambling in Walton County, USA is an illegal pastime. However, this did not stop scores of convenience stores from offering gambling entertainment in one form or another with payouts ranging from a mere $5 to a whopping $3000. Authorities for some time now have been hearing complaints by family members who claimed that their loved ones were becoming addicted to the video gambling devices and that they were spending money that was intended for household expenses.
Fifty-five undercover law enforcement agents staked out convenience stores across the county over a period of two weeks to discover which were offering payouts on gambling devices used. In a grand raid on Thursday night, the law enforcement agents swept into fifteen convenience stores and confiscated 54 gambling devices that had been used by players. Cash paid out for gambling activities was also confiscated in the raid.
Officers are now using evidence collected during the gambling raid to build a case against those store holders who were suspected of taking part in illegal gambling activities. It is also hoped that the raid will get the message across that Walton County will not tolerate illegal wagering, however small the payout amounts are. Addiction remains a growing problem in the county and authorities hope that the raid will remove the temptation and make problem gamblers seek help.
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