This Vegas casino is one of the last to use coin slot machines. 40 detained after police raid illegal gambling location in Long Beach. KABC-TV Los Angeles. County sheriff's deputy on patrol tried to detain a couple after seeing a man give a gun to a woman, leading to the discovery of an illegal gambling operation, authorities say.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nive Hagay, 31, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty today to conducting an illegal gambling business and distributing cocaine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, starting in 2008 until November 2016, Hagay, who also went by the name “Dino the Casino,” installed and maintained video slot machines in smoke shops, convenience stores and other small businesses from Bakersfield to Sacramento. Hagay then laundered the proceeds from the illegal gambling business through clothing companies in Los Angeles, as well as by making large purchases with the cash proceeds, such as a $202,000 cash transaction for a 2014 Audi R8.

Finally, on October 15, 2016, at a smoke shop in Sacramento, Hagay sold approximately one ounce of a mixture that tested positively for cocaine. The sale was recorded, and in the video, Hagay is seen pulling the bag of the substance from his pocket and taking the resulting money. In the recording, he discusses the quality of the cocaine, describes where he got it and offers to get more and of higher quality in the future.

As a part of his plea agreement, Hagay has agreed to forfeit assets acquired from proceeds of the illegal gambling business, including a 2010 Aston Martin Rapide, a 2016 Mercedes Benz AMG GT, several Ducati motorcycles, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash seized from his home, the illegal slot machines, and various bank accounts.

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This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice – Bureau of Gambling Control. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew M. Yelovich is prosecuting the case.

Hagay is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. on August 24, 2017. Hagay faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the illegal gambling offense and 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for the cocaine distribution charge. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

California is host to a popular black market for illegal online gambling operators, and there are also instances of illegal physical gambling houses. Police departments across the state are joining forces in a renewed effort to shut down illegal gambling. In their latest set of raids, law enforcement officers have made more than 100 arrests.

Tip-off in Santa Ana

Following a raid on an illegal gambling facility at a cyber café in Santa Ana, 21 people were arrested. The police were tipped off by local residents who had complaints about the activities in the Lucky 999 Cyber Cafe. The raid on the café, located in a strip mall, took place at around 6am.

As well as the arrests, police also confiscated 19 gambling machines. They estimated the machines could generate revenue of more than $20,000 every week in cash.

Raid in Los Angeles

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In March, officers from the Los Angeles Police Department took down a significant gambling ring in their jurisdiction. They got a tip-off in relation to a Koreatown property.

On the outside, the facility looked like it was just an empty store. However, there was an illegal gambling operation running inside. It was generally open from noon until late evening.

Before the swoop, undercover police officers entered the property to investigate. This gave them the confirmation they needed to see that cash gambling was taking place. The den also had slot machines and card tables.

During the raid, police confiscated drugs, cash, the gambling machines and firearms. They also made seven arrests. ATF and SWAT teams from the locality took part in the raid.

Arrests in West Orange County

Las Angeles is a major hub for illegal gambling in California due to many areas being so accessible. These illegal houses generate a significant source of revenue for criminal enterprises in the state.

On March 5, law enforcement officers made another raid, this time in West Orange County, on two houses in the Westminster area. Prior to the action, police spent two months investigating the potential occurrence of illegal gambling, and monitoring the two homes.

The raid took place with local SWAT teams, beginning at around midnight. The two homes were about a mile away from one another.

The police commander in Westminster, Cord Vandergrift, said: “It’s activity in and out of the homes; a lot of the times it’s the neighbors that call in and report the activity that leads us to the investigation and starts the investigation for us.”

There were 26 arrests made during this raid.

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Gambling in California

California has no legal online gambling, but despite this many operators target residents with their online platforms.

Poker is a very popular activity in the state and there have been persistent calls for the introduction of legal online poker. Since 2008, there have been 16 separate attempts to introduce legal online poker but to no avail.

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The tribes in the state are resistant to legalization as they operate dozens of gambling facilities in the state. They do not want legal online poker to cut into their revenues. The tribes hold significant influence in the political space and hold a lot of power over expansionary gambling proposals.

Currently, Californians can gamble in more than 60 tribal gambling locations, as well as more than 100 state-licensed card rooms. Horse racing and the state lottery are also popular forms of gambling.

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While there have been calls to legalize sports betting, this does not look like happening any time soon, especially without a constitutional amendment.