Michigan Authorities Seize Over $91K, 82 Gambling Machines at Two Sites in Lansing

Posted on: March 8, 2022, 02:44h. 

Last updated on: March 8, 2022, 03:03h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Lansing, Mich. officials recently searched two suspected illegal gambling dens housed in local storefronts. Authorities seized 82 gambling machines, as well as $91,500 in cash, it was revealed today.

Lansing, Mich. Police Chief Ellery Sosebee
Lansing, Mich. Police Chief Ellery Sosebee, pictured above. The department took part in recent gambling raids, assisted by state officials. (Image: WILX)

One operation, in the Logan Square Shopping Center, was raided on Feb. 28. Some 62 machines were seized. Among them were 28 slot machines, a virtual blackjack table, as well as other casino-style gambling devices, MLive.com, a regional news site in Michigan, reported.

The second location, identified as “Games of Skill,” was searched on March 4. Officials seized 13 slots and seven gambling games, the report adds.

Unregulated, illegal gambling operations in Lansing invite crime into our neighborhoods and business corridors,” Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said in a statement announcing the raids.

Shutting Down Illegal Gaming Sites

“We are doing all we can to identify these illegal establishments and shut them down permanently,” Schor added.

Investigators from the Michigan Attorney General’s office, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), and Lansing Police Department took part.

“I am thankful for the efforts of the Michigan Gaming Control Board, the Attorney General, and other state agencies … working with the Lansing Police Department to shut down these illegal operations and keep our residents safe,” Schor said.

The MGCB was contacted by Lansing cops in October to get help in investigating possible illegal gambling operations, officials said. “Partnerships in law enforcement are a large part of successful crime fighting,” Lansing Police Chief Ellery Sosebee added in the statement.

It was in 2018, when a Lansing woman was sentenced to prison and four other suspects pleaded guilty to conducting an illegal gambling operation at a Logan Square shopping center storefront, officials said.

Michigan residents can report any suspicious or illegal gambling activity by calling the MGCB’s anonymous tip line at 888-314-2682.

Chicago Storefront Site of Alleged Gambling

In an unrelated incident, a recently demolished Chicago storefront was allegedly being used for illegal gaming, prostitution, and even had a possible methamphetamine lab there, a published report revealed last week. The North Western Avenue one-story building also was structurally unsound and dangerous, officials said. It was demolished.

Several gaming machines reportedly were seized from the building during a Feb. 8 raid. The court-ordered search was led by federal agents and Chicago cops. The Chicago Sun-Times also reported that Allen Isip, 34, who worked in the building, was charged by police.

He was accused of keeping a gambling place, the newspaper said. He claimed to be the “host” at the operation.

Nationally, illegal gaming has been tied to other crimes, such as illegal narcotics, prostitution, and violence.