Manatee County commissioners have finalized the details of an ordinance to crack down on illegal gambling dens a little more than a year after Suncoast Searchlight and the Bradenton Herald published an investigation that spurred the effort.
The newsrooms’ joint investigation last summer identified more than 20 “adult arcades” operating across the region in open defiance of state law. The new ordinance aims to choke off any new gambling businesses looking to operate in Manatee County, mirroring language from an ordinance passed in 2021 in Marion County.
The county submitted the proposal for review to the Florida Gaming Commission, which came back with suggestions on tweaking some of the language, but commissioners didn’t waver on their plan — and instead advanced the ordinance as is.
The first of two required public hearings on the new ordinance will be scheduled for Sept. 22.
“I don’t know why we keep kicking the can down the road,” Commissioner Bob McCann said. “Why are we looking to the state for this, (why is) the Gaming Commission even involved?”
Commission Chairman Tal Siddique has pushed for the new ordinance since September in response to a series of stories from Suncoast Searchlight and the Bradenton Herald that exposed how these illegal gambling dens have proliferated despite state law banning slot machines.
Every commissioner on the dais agreed Tuesday that some form of regulation was needed, with no apparent opposition among the board.
“I just don’t want them here,” Siddique said. “I wanted to keep it simple, and the goal was to clean up our urban core from businesses that are skirting the inability of the state to police this.”
The proposed ordinance states that in Manatee County, there has been a “proliferation of establishments” that use “simulated gambling devices” or casino games and contests such as electronic slot machines.
It also echoes reporting by the Suncoast Searchlight and the Bradenton Herald that found the unregulated businesses are deceptive to customers, difficult for law enforcement to monitor, and hotbeds for criminal activity.
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The series of stories revealed how these so-called “adult arcades” have evaded area law enforcement for years, closing down on one block just to reopen on another. Authorities attribute that to the lengthy legal and financial hassle of dismantling these operations — and the minimal return, since arrests often result in just a misdemeanor.
These storefront casinos target fixed-income seniors with unregulated odds — sometimes refusing to pay jackpots — and have become magnets for drugs and crime. During the past five years, law enforcement has responded to hundreds of calls to these casinos for burglaries, fights, stolen cars and drug overdoses, the newsrooms’ investigation found.
Under the new ordinance, the casino operators in Manatee County could be issued a cease-and-desist order, a civil citation, or be taken to court. Operators also could be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor — punishable by up to 60 days in county jail and a $500 fine — if they maintain five or more “gambling devices,” have previously violated the ordinance, or ignored a cease-and-desist letter.
Siddique said discouraging those who want to open casinos in Manatee County would be easier than shutting down those that already exist. Suncoast Searchlight and Bradenton Herald reporting has found it can be extremely costly for law enforcement to both investigate them and impound and store bulky slot machines.
Commissioners on Tuesday said the proposed ordinance would give the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office more teeth to bust illegal operations.
Siddique said the businesses were essentially “pop-ups,” and law enforcement officials had described combating them as playing a game of wack-a-mole.
“I think we all, essentially, on this board want some regulation when it comes to this,” Commissioner Jason Bearden said. “There’s no checks and balances.”
Derek Gilliam is a watchdog/investigative reporter for Suncoast Searchlight. Email him at derek@suncoastsearchlight.org.
This story was originally published by Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit newsroom delivering investigative journalism to Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. Learn more at suncoastsearchlight.org.
