5 Arrested, Slot Machines Seized
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PACOIMA — A three-week undercover investigation into illegal gambling at bars in the northeast San Fernando Valley led to five arrests and the confiscation of three illegal video slot machines, Los Angeles police said Thursday.
The machines were distributed at bars in Sylmar and Arleta by an unknown man who told owners he would split proceeds from the devices, LAPD Officer Tim Blake said. The distributor provided owners with stickers for the games that read: “For Amusement Purposes Only.”
“One location was bringing in $10,000 over a two-month period. It’s good extra money. It’s really good,” Blake said. But “it is illegal to possess a video slot machine.”
Four men and one woman were arrested by vice officers, cited for illegal possession of the machines and released, Blake said. But the investigation continues and officers have yet to nab the distributor, Blake said.
“He’s hard to find,” Blake said.
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