Internet cafe gambling busts in Ohio

WYTV in Ohio reports that three internet cafes in Austintown and a private residence in North Jackson were raided by police Thursday and shut down on allegations of illegal online gambling.

Jeff Solic, commander of the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force, told media that the raids were mounted following an undercover investigation that began last December.

“It’s illegal to be paid cash for gaming. Any amount of cash,” said Solic. “Any cash payout is illegal and these locations were paying out in cash.”

No arrests were made, but police seized 38 casino-style online gambling machines, cash and other records.

After the state of Ohio changed laws to make online gambling illegal, most Internet cafes shut down, but in many cases the illegal operators simply re-open elsewhere, the television station reported.

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