Ohio is strict about gambling regulations. The state, like any other, conducts gambling raids from time to time to curb illegal gambling. The recent raid led to the arrest of business owners and staff at retail stores earlier this week in Trumbull County.
According to a report released by a local TV station, the raid led to the seizing of nine gaming machines and cash. WKBN reported on Wednesday that the undercover operation led to the arrest of 15 suspects. Each of these suspects has been summoned to court for running a gambling business or for other gaming charges.
Four Businesses Searched
State officials identified several locations with possible illegal activities a week earlier. A Convenient Food Mart in Warren was one of them.
The state officials found $1,461 in cash and two gaming machines. This led to court summonses to the food mart owner and four employees. Four gambling citations were also delivered against the liquor license for the store.
Northend Supermarket was also raided. Two gaming machines and $404 were seized followed by four gambling citations against the shop`s liquor permit. The owner and three employees were summoned by a court.
Gas Land Mart in Howland was raided too. Here, the state officials seized two gaming machines and $789.two employees and the owner were summoned. Four gambling citations were issued against the mart`s liquor permit.
The last location to be raided was Champion Convenient Mart in Champion. The store liquor permit got five gambling citations while two employees and the owner were summoned by the court.
State officials seized $1,065 and three gaming machines. According to the Tribune Chronicle, the raids were a success following the partnership between the local police departments and the Ohio Investigative Unit of the State Department of Public Safety.
Sports Betting Companies Fined $150,000 Each
Ohio did not stop at raiding small stores for violating gambling laws. The state has also fined three betting companies.
DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook, and BetMGM were each fined $150,000 this week for violating Ohio`s responsible gambling rules. The Ohio Casino Control Commission said that the three giants or their associate marketing providers did not advertise their products properly.
The betting companies did not reveal content and a problem gambling hotline to help anyone struggling with gambling responsibly. The casino control commission had cited five violations against the betting companies since December 14, 2022.
These charges come amidst sports betting launching in Ohio. On January 1, 2023, sportsbooks started offering legal betting via online apps in Ohio. To celebrate the initiation, sportsbooks launched with fanfare.
Different sports stars showed up at various casinos to place their first bets. For instance, a retired baseball star at the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose, went to Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati to place the first wager at the casino`sportsbook.
Betfred celebrated the launch of sports betting in Ohio at the Fowling Warehouse. Anthony Munoz, a Cincinnati Bengals Hall of Famer, was present.
Meanwhile, BetMGM hosted two events. One took place at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati while the second was at MGM Northfield Park near Cleveland.
