Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sent cease-and-desist letters to 40 operators in December. "The only thing you can be sure about with an online sweepstakes casino is that it's going to take your money," Skrmetti said. "They work hard to make these sweepstakes casinos look legitimate, but at the end of the day, they are not. They avoid any oversight that could ensure honesty or fairness."
The attorney general of Pennsylvania announced on Monday (February 9) that a Schuylkill County novelty game company has admitted guilt in what prosecutors describe as a sweeping illegal gambling operation that reached far beyond its home base. At the center of the case is Deibler Brothers Novelty Company, which authorities say placed and operated hundreds of unlawful video gambling machines across large parts of the state.
Puig initially pled guilty to a felony charge of lying to federal agents investigating an illegal gambling operation. He acknowledged in an August 2022 plea agreement that he wracked up more than $280,000 in losses over a few months in 2019 while wagering on tennis, football and basketball games through a third party who worked for an illegal gambling operation run by Wayne Nix, a former minor league baseball player.
The arrest followed a months-long investigation into several illegal gambling operations in Sarasota County resulting in a search warrant for the "41 Social Club," an announcement from the sheriff's office alleges. During the warrant, a total of 66 slot machines, along with U.S. currency, were seized from the business. It has also been said that additional evidence located included a cease and desist letter from SCSO that was provided to the business in April 2025.
"If you are using the same suppliers, such as web hosting companies, as the majority of illegal websites, then you are helping to build the illegal market," he said. "And, if you are marketing your products through platforms, including social media, that also promote illegal online casinos, then you are helping to build the illegal market."
During the Jan. 2 raid, Oakland police seized dynamite, two pistols, some loaded magazines, and suspected opiate pills and methamphetamine, as well as several gambling machines, according to court records. The search came one day after a woman reported that armed burglars broke into a home on the 1700 block of Auseon Avenue while she was there, and after fleeing through the back door she heard shots.
The gambling products he encountered were not harmless entertainment. They stripped away Ollie's enjoyment of the game he loved so much. They were highly addictive, predatory systems designed to exploit. And they did. They stole from Ollie - not only his money, but his peace, his future, and ultimately, his life.
OAKLAND A man who police say serves as a manager at one of Oakland's several illegal casinos has been charged with leading officers on a chase through the city as they were investigating his possible involvement in a shooting related to the gambling underworld, court records show. An Dao, 44, was charged with felony counts of evading police and being a 14-time felon in possession of body armor, court records show.
Tierra Carter, who works at the Social Security Administration, tells NPR's Andrea Hsu that she's had to take out loans and seek a hardship withdrawal from her 401(k) due to the shutdown. Carter says it feels as if she is trying to swim to the top of a pool, but every time she gets to the middle, she is knocked back down.
On Thursday morning, Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former player and coach Damon Jones were all arrested in connection with a pair of federal indictments involving illegal gambling operations. Billups was allegedly involved in a poker scheme with ties to the Mafia, while Rozier was accused to being involved in an operation that involved him throwing games; and Jones was listed in both indictments.
What you don't know is that this is an illegal gambling operation and sports rigging operation that spanned the course of years. The FBI led a coordinated takedown across 11 states to arrest over 30 individuals today responsible for this case, which is very much ongoing. Not only did we crack into the fraud that these perpetrators committed on the grand stage of the NBA, but we also entered and executed a system of justice against La Cosa Nostra
The Alameda Police Department say they shut down an illegal gambling den being operated inside a home on Tuesday, where they found slot machines, table games like roulette, and drugs. [KTVU] A resident of the tiny town of Chinese Camp, Layne Smith, whose family has lived there for four generations, describes how he saved his home from the wildfire that came through Tuesday night. [KTVU]