Charges mulled in Warren gambling

The house was making 75 percent of wagers at Treasure Island, leaving customers with 25 percent, officials said.

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — Police will be meeting with the city prosecutor to determine what charges will be filed against the operators of a gaming parlor at which 32 electronic gambling machines have been confiscated.

Detective Jeffrey Hoolihan said the Tic Tac Fruit and Wild Cherry machines were confiscated Thursday night at Treasure Island, 2004 North Road S.E. There have been no arrests.

Also seized was a large sum of cash and numerous Speedway gasoline cards, Hoolihan said.

The money and gas cards have not been counted yet, police said.

Hoolihan said that an undercover investigation determined that customers could earn points on the electronic machines and be paid off in the gas cards.

The winning customers would be directed to an adjoining building and exchange the cards for cash, minus 10 percent. The cards were in various denominations.

For example, if a customer won $50, he would actually receive $45, the detective said.

Under Ohio law, Hoolihan said, no person can receive anything of value other than a prize of amusement valued at $10 or less.

Authorities said Treasurer Island kept 75 percent of the money gambled and paid customers 25 percent.

A spokeswoman for the Ohio Lottery says that 59 percent of money taken in by all state-operates games is returned to the players.

Hoolihan said about six to eight customers were in Treasure Island when it was raided shortly before 5 p.m. A search warrant had been obtained from Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

Several people from the Warren-Youngstown area were employed at the gambling parlor. They have not been charged, Hoolihan said.

The owner of the parlor hasn’t been determined no the origin of the machines, the detective explained.

This is the gambling raid in the city this year.

In mid-January, city police took 20 electronic machines from Wild Cherry Gaming, 2671 Youngstown Road.

Hoolihan said the mayor is going to have to find more storage space for the machines because the police substation on Palmyra Road is filled with them. Those machines came here from Chicago.

yovich@vindy.com