Nov. 30, 2004 — The owner of two video casinos remained at large Monday night after police raided one of his businesses earlier in the day for allegedly paying out cash prizes.
In the largest seizure of the year, police confiscated 92 video gambling machines at the Palace Arcade on the 2900 block of Boca Chica Boulevard.
Police said the casino was closed and the machines had been emptied of their cash when they executed their search warrant shortly before noon.
“We’re looking for the owners and the employees,” said Lt. Juan Hernandez with the Brownsville Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit.
A Brownsville TX Municipal Court judge issued three warrants for the arrest of casino owner Jose Luis Bazan, age unknown, Monday afternoon.
Bazan was charged with keeping a gambling establishment, gambling promotion and possession of gambling paraphernalia.
Hernandez said Bazan owned both the Palace Arcade and the Golden Arcade on Price Road.
Bazan had not been taken into custody Monday night.
Hernandez said the Palace Arcade had been in operation for more than a year, but unlike other arcades, was only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
“Most of these places are open seven days a week,” Hernandez said.
Based on community complaints, Hernandez said undercover officers had been making visits to the casino for the past two months with some of them receiving up to $30 in cash prizes.
“When we came in here, this place was always packed with as many as 50 to 60 customers,” Hernandez said.
Under state law, it is illegal for video gambling machines to pay out in cash or prizes worth more than 10 times the value of a bid.
Based on advertising found at the arcade, Hernandez said the casino planned to start opening seven days a week.
Of the 25 video gambling casinos opened within city limits at the beginning of the year, Hernandez said only three remain. All of them are found in the Price Road area.
Hernandez said many of the casinos have moved to other communities, but Brownsville police have forwarded their cases to other law enforcement agencies.
brownsvilleherald.com
In the largest seizure of the year, police confiscated 92 video gambling machines at the Palace Arcade on the 2900 block of Boca Chica Boulevard.
Police said the casino was closed and the machines had been emptied of their cash when they executed their search warrant shortly before noon.
“We’re looking for the owners and the employees,” said Lt. Juan Hernandez with the Brownsville Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit.
A Brownsville TX Municipal Court judge issued three warrants for the arrest of casino owner Jose Luis Bazan, age unknown, Monday afternoon.
Bazan was charged with keeping a gambling establishment, gambling promotion and possession of gambling paraphernalia.
Hernandez said Bazan owned both the Palace Arcade and the Golden Arcade on Price Road.
Bazan had not been taken into custody Monday night.
Hernandez said the Palace Arcade had been in operation for more than a year, but unlike other arcades, was only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
“Most of these places are open seven days a week,” Hernandez said.
Based on community complaints, Hernandez said undercover officers had been making visits to the casino for the past two months with some of them receiving up to $30 in cash prizes.
“When we came in here, this place was always packed with as many as 50 to 60 customers,” Hernandez said.
Under state law, it is illegal for video gambling machines to pay out in cash or prizes worth more than 10 times the value of a bid.
Based on advertising found at the arcade, Hernandez said the casino planned to start opening seven days a week.
Of the 25 video gambling casinos opened within city limits at the beginning of the year, Hernandez said only three remain. All of them are found in the Price Road area.
Hernandez said many of the casinos have moved to other communities, but Brownsville police have forwarded their cases to other law enforcement agencies.
brownsvilleherald.com
