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Huntsville Police Department has arrested a man under suspicion of being involved in an alleged illegal gambling operation in Alabama.
A SWAT team from Huntsville Police Department executed a search warrant early on Tuesday, January 6 as part of an investigation into an alleged illegal gambling operation in the 3600 block of 7th Avenue. This led to the arrest of 59-year-old Robert Lorenzo Gray Jr.
Investigators also seized 21 hard drives from gambling machines, two firearms, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Gray went on to be charged with promoting gambling, possession of gambling records in the first degree, possession of marijuana in the second degree, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Illegal gambling machines seized during a raid. Credit: Huntsville Police Department
“The investigation is ongoing, and additional arrests may be made,” said Huntsville Police Department in a statement.
Illegal gambling in Alabama
This isn’t the first similar investigation to take place in Alabama, with search warrants also executed in the last few months in Pike County and Fort Payne, with illegal gambling machines and records seized in both operations.
There’s also mounting pressure to tackle illegal online gambling, with concern rising about how such operators could be affecting Alabama youth.
An official letter from the Senate to to Attorney General Pam Bondi noted how illicit offshore gambling operations “allow minors to engage in unregulated sports betting and gaming with no oversight, unlike legal domestic gaming operations”. In addition, the bipartisan letter explained how “these illegal offshore gaming operations expose young people to numerous harms, including by permitting them to gamble without age verification, on credit, and offering no resources for gambling addictions.”
With Alabama one of the few states to almost entirely ban gambling, apart from a few exceptions limited to betting on horse and dog racing and electronic bingo machines, this push to crack down on illegal gambling is split across both physical and online spaces.

Featured image: Huntsville Police Department

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Multiple business and residential properties in Galveston, Texas were raided under suspicion of facilitating illegal gambling and organized criminal activity.
The multi-location operation took place on Tuesday (January 6), according to a briefing from Galveston Police Department, targeting several businesses and homes that are suspected to be involved in helping run illegal gambling and organized crime.
The tactical raid started early in the morning, with Galveston Police Department detectives and specialized units entering the properties under search and arrest warrants. The raids took place following an investigation over several months into unregulated “game rooms” and suspected associated criminal financial networks that support their operations.
“Illegal gambling operations are often a magnet for secondary crimes, including money laundering and narcotics distribution,” reads the official statement from Galveston Police Department. “Today’s action demonstrates our commitment to maintaining the safety and integrity of our neighborhoods by dismantling these unauthorized operations.”
The results of the illegal gambling raids in Galveston
Although the nature of the ongoing investigation means that the names of the arrested individuals are still being withheld from the general public, Galveston Police Department did confirm that five commercial businesses and four private residences were served search and arrest warrants at the same time.
That included three commercial sites within 61st Street Plaza and 2215 61st, Tongs Happy Buddha, and A&M Grocery. Several individuals were taken into custody, with expected charges said to include engaging in organized criminal activity and possession of gambling devices/equipment. At the time of writing, the arrested individuals are still being processed.
Galveston Police Department officers also seized a significant number of illegal eight-liner gambling machines, as well as an undisclosed amount of cash, and electronic records related to the wider criminal network.
The investigation is noted by Galveston Police Department to still be ongoing, with specific details related to the active investigation kept private for now.
Featured image: Google Maps
The post Illegal gambling businesses shut down following raids on commercial and residential properties in Texas appeared first on ReadWrite.