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Florida’s Lee County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that two active investigations are underway at gambling arcades.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office took to Facebook on January 15 to confirm that two active investigations are being carried out against two gambling businesses, Mega Jackpots and Spinners Arcade.
No further details have been publicly shared by the Sheriff’s Office since. The reasons for the investigations have also not been made public, presumably because the police work is still ongoing. The photos shared by the Sheriff’s Office show officers walking among gambling machines and talking to people inside the establishments.
Law enforcement officers inspect gambling machines inside a Lee County arcade amid an ongoing investigation. Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook
“We can confirm an active investigation is underway by LCSO and the FL Gaming Control Commission at the following locations: Mega Jackpots, 50 Pine Island Rd; Spinners Arcade, 10347 Bonita Beach Rd,” wrote the sheriff’s office in an update shared to Facebook. “Additional updates forthcoming.”
ReadWrite has reached out to Lee County Sheriff’s Office for further details.
Illegal gambling investigations in Florida
Although the reason for these investigations has not yet been made clear, gambling businesses in Florida have been investigated recently for running unlicensed operations or using illegal gaming machines. Police operations in Lake County and Fort Meyers yielded large amounts of seized cash and dozens of illegal machines when investigators raided the scene. A wider operation in collaboration with federal groups also targeted unlicensed machines.
In Florida, the law allows gambling machines to only be offered in legal gaming facilities. It is against the law across the state to operate slot machine gaming or any unauthorized gambling at any unlicensed facility. Penalties can result in fines or even jail-time, depending on the severity of the case.
Featured image: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
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Sweepstakes giant VGW has announced a multi-year partnership with one of the world’s biggest wrestling brands, WWE.
VGW has announced the multi-year partnership with WWE, starting in 2026 and focused on making portfolio of online social games brands accessible across WWE’s global network. With WWE reaching over one billion households around the world, the initial focus of this partnership is focused on the US. This echoes an earlier decision from the Australian-based company VGW to pull out of Canada and target the US primarily.
The partnership will allow VGW to access WWE’s network and talent in future content on both social media and broadcast, while VGW’s brands will also feature in WWE programming, such as Smackdown and live events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam.
“WWE is an entertainment powerhouse with a passionate fan community,” said VGW’s Chief Marketing Officer Ben Whitford. “This collaboration connects our audiences through dynamic content and experiences that combine VGW’s love of games with WWE’s iconic brand. We’re thrilled to be partnering with WWE to deliver memorable campaigns and unique player experiences, while continuing to engage our existing audience in fresh and exciting ways.”
There’s not long to wait for VGW x WWE
The partnership will officially launch in the coming weeks, with several major campaigns already in development. Although there are few details shared so far, a post to LinkedIn promises “exclusive content, prizes, and money-can’t-buy experiences for our players”.
“VGW has built a highly engaged and passionate player community, and this partnership allows us to leverage WWE’s global, year-round platform to create premium, always-on experiences for fans,” said Jesse Tomares, the Vice President of Global Partnerships at WWE. “By combining VGW’s expertise in interactive entertainment with WWE’s unmatched reach and storytelling engine, we’re creating new ways for our audiences to engage across multiple touchpoints.”
Featured image: VGW via press release
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Tennessee Action 24/7 has announced it will cease operations, effective immediately, thanking its users for their loyalty.
The sportsbook, the only one officially licensed in Tennessee, has shared an update on its website that no more bets will be accepted as it closes its doors for good. Any wagers already placed will be honored.
As the only Tennessee-owned sportsbook, Tennessee Action 24/7 noted that 90% of its funds invested were from Tennesseans, thanking its users and those across the state for their “confidence and support.”
No reason has been given for the closure in the company’s statement. Back in 2021, Tennessee Action 24/7 had its license indefinitely suspended for suspicious player deposit activity. However, there’s no evidence that this closure is related to license suspensions.
“We are proud to have served our friends and neighbors as the only Tennessee-owned and operated licensed online sportsbook for the past five years,” the company wrote in its statement. “Thank you for your play. Thank you for your loyalty. Over 90 percent of funds invested in the company were from Tennesseans. We are forever grateful for your confidence and support.”

pic.twitter.com/THAGoclzrC
— Action 247 (@TNAction247) January 16, 2026

The company had always been founded with Tennessee values at heart, with Action 24/7’s mission statement reading: “Tennessee Action 24/7 launched with the simple idea of creating a world-class sports book for the people of Tennessee and having a ton of fun doing it. We’re not a mega-corporation from some far off land. We’re your neighbors.”
Gambling in Tennessee
With the only Tennessee-licensed sportsbook now shut down, the state had cracked down on illegal sportsbooks late in 2025, fining two unlicensed operations $50,000 a piece. Illegal online sportsbooks didn’t fare any better, with $250,000 in fines extracted in total from five unregistered offshore entities.
Just last week, the state also took action against three prediction market giants – Kalshi, Polymarket, and Crypto.com – in another push to tackle any perceived unlicensed gambling. For some states, regulators see prediction markets as skirting the rules on gambling, with wagers available on traditional betting topics like sports, as well as other cultural or political bets.
Featured image: Tennessee Action 24/7
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The Nevada Gaming Control Board has filed to block Polymarket operations in the state, describing them as “unlicensed wagering.”
The Board filed a civil enforcement action on January 16, requesting an injunction to block prediction market Polymarket from offering “unlicensed wagering in violation of Nevada law”. This means that Polymarket could be formally ordered by the court to cease operations in Nevada, although the company could still file a counter-suit or an appeal to try and avoid this.

BREAKING: The Nevada Gaming Control Board has filed a civil enforcement action in Carson City District Court against Polymarket. The Board seeks a declaration and injunction to stop Polymarket from offering unlicensed wagering in violation of Nevada law. pic.twitter.com/LJIRjw1DsD
— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) January 17, 2026

“Polymarket operates a derivatives exchange and prediction market where it offers event contracts for sale,” wrote the Board in a press release announcing the move. “These products are offered for sale on Polymarket’s mobile app and are made available to people in Nevada. The Board considers offering sports event contracts, or certain other events contracts, to constitute wagering activity under NRS 463.0193 and 463.01962 and, therefore, entities offering such event contracts must be licensed.
“The Board has deemed Polymarket’s operations to be unlawful in Nevada.”
A wave of obstacles for prediction markets in Nevada and beyond
This isn’t the first such move in Nevada, with previous similar actions taken against both DraftKings and Flutter’s prediction market services, while a federal judge also ruled against Robinhood and Kalshi. Elsewhere across the US, states like Tennessee and even national groups have also taken aim at prediction markets, arguing that such companies are skirting gambling regulations.
“Nevada’s public policy, as expressed by the Legislature, is that the gaming industry is vitally important to the economy of the state and the general welfare of the inhabitants and therefore must be licensed, controlled, and assisted to protect the public health, safety, morals, good order, and general welfare of the inhabitants of the State,” said the Board.
ReadWrite has contacted Polymarket for comment.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 / Polymarket
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California police officers have removed new gambling machines from Santa Anita Park just days after they were first installed.
The horse-racing location installed 26 new gambling machines on January 14, only for them to be removed by police officers from the state Department of Justice and the city of Arcadia. The new machines were met with instant controversy, as they were considered to be in breach of California’s exclusive tribal gaming rights laws.
The Racing On Demand machines will collect money for live bets, a service that is exclusive to California tribes. Only horse racing is exempt from these laws, meaning that slot or gambling machines of any other kind are not allowed.
Santa Anita Park launched the games on February 14, reasoning that regulatory approval was in fact granted back in April 2024, when the California Horse Racing Board passed an agreement on 3-on-3 wagering. That allows gamblers to pick three winning horses, winning payouts at different levels depending on how many of the three they get right. The gambling machines offered similar games, although the California officials still clearly deem them as slot machines and games of chance, rather than an extension of horse racing, given the recent operation to remove them.
Santa Anita’s machines removed in public raid
Images of the machines being removed have been shared on social media, with the raid taking place on the afternoon of February 16.
“Something is going down with the new machines here at Santa Anita,” wrote MoneyLineBet on X.

Well something is going down with the new machines her at Santa Anita pic.twitter.com/uXU8Hmgx1y
— MoneyLineBet (@MoneyLineBet) January 18, 2026

“The track’s slots-style ‘Racing On Demand’ gaming machines were removed this afternoon by California Department of Justice agents,” wrote sports and politics journalist Kevin Modesti. “The games’ legality was unclear as soon as they were installed [on] Thursday.”

News at Santa Anita: The track’s slots-style “Racing On Demand” gaming machines were removed this afternoon by California Department of Justice agents. The games’ legality was unclear as soon as they were installed Thursday. Seeking comment from Santa Anita and the DOJ. pic.twitter.com/yMlbmI2B2Q
— Kevin Modesti (@KevinModesti) January 18, 2026

ReadWrite has contacted Santa Anita and the California Department of Justice for comment.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
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