Cops raid ’Net cafes
Prosecutor: Warren sites offered illegal gambling
March 26, 2011 - By JOE GORMAN Tribune Chronicle
WARREN - Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins said Friday that gambling in any form will not be tolerated after search warrants were served earlier in the day at three Internet cafes in the city.
Speaking at a news conference flanked by city Law Director Gregory Hicks, police Chief Tim Bowers and others, Watkins said the law is simple and he plans to enforce it.
''Games or schemes that do not involve skill but are based on chance are illegal in this state,'' Watkins said.
Warrants were served at the Players Club, 2700 Mahoning Ave.; Lot$-A-Loot, 2004 North Road S.E. and Lucky Charms, 2001 Southern Blvd.
The warrants were issued by Common Pleas Judge Andrew Logan and served by city police, members of the Trumbull County Sheriff's Office and members of the state Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.
Watkins stressed that no one has been charged and that prosecutors with both the city and the county are reviewing the evidence before deciding if charges will be filed. Watkins said that review could take several days or a ''week or two.''
The cafes were not padlocked, but Watkins said all the equipment was seized so it would be hard for them to do business even if they wanted to. No one was available at any of the cafes late Friday afternoon. A sign at the Lot$-A-Loot promised, ''We'll be open soon.''
''These machines were used for nothing but solely gambling,'' county Assistant Prosecutor Chris Becker said. ''Pure and simple gambling.''
Affidavits for all three cafes say officers with the county, state and city began their investigation in the fall of 2010 after receiving numerous complaints from citizens.
At the Players Club, an undercover officer visited and played the machines twice on Feb. 25 and Monday, and also visited Lot$-A-Loot March 1 and Monday and visited Lucky Charms on March 1 and Monday, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit states the undercover officer played machines there that are games of chance that resemble gambling machines at other gambling establishments out of state. The affidavit referred to Lot$-A-Loot as ''Mountaineer North,'' a reference to the Mountaineer Resort in West Virginia, where gambling is allowed.
Last May, Watkins gave an opinion on Internet cafes that offer gambling machines after a similar operation in Liberty was shut down by township police. Watkins' opinion then said it is ''illegal for anyone to conduct, operate and/or promote games or schemes of chance for a profit. All places of public accommodation by law shall not allow any person to make a bet or play any game of chance or scheme of chance in their business establishment,'' and he referred to that opinion again Friday.
The investigation is part of an ongoing effort between the county and city to share services in order to help save money for taxpayers, Watkins said. Hicks thanked the county and the Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's office for their help in the investigation.
Earlier this month, DeWine said the state will look into regulating Internet cafes. He also has said he wants the cafes to be under the guidance of the Ohio Casino Control Commmission that will go into effect on July 1 and regulate the state's four casinos as well.