23 detained in illegal gambling operation bust, Bexar County sheriff says

Bexar County deputies detained 23 people in a pre-dawn raid on an alleged organized illegal gambling operation, Sheriff Javier Salazar said.

Salazar said 13 of those detained will be jailed on various charges. Some face felony drug charges and some face outstanding warrants. Others are charged with keeping a gambling place and engaging in organized criminal activity.

Authorities seized between 500 and 600 machines. Salazar called the sting a major operation and a major success.

According to Salazar, the businesses targeted all operated under the same umbrella, known as “777.”

>>READ MORE: 3 arrested, 8 others detained after deputies uncover North Side gambling operation, BCSO says

Salazar said the operators tried to skirt the law by limiting cash payouts. Under their system, a winning player cannot be paid more than 10 times what they put in. Instead, winners receive Pokémon or sports cards. A business next door will then buy the card back from the player, often for a couple hundred dollars.

Salazar said the businesses may seem harmless but are illegal and should be. He also pointed to safety concerns, saying gang violence occurs at such places when one organization robs another.

He described the operations as predatory, noting that many customers are elderly people on fixed incomes.

READ MORE:

• Water main break causes road closure on Broadway near downtown, SAWS says