• Leslie Wilber •
• Originally published May 16, 2008 at 9:23 a.m., updated May 16, 2008 at 9:23 a.m.

WHARTON COUNTY — Authorities walked into 12 game rooms across the county at 1 p.m. Wednesday and started seizing eight-liner machines.

“We’ve had complaints for many, many months,” District Attorney Josh McCowan said. Investigators saw game rooms awarding cash and gift cards, which is illegal, said Sgt. Tommy Johnson of the Wharton County Sheriff’s Office.

The raids targeted convenience stores, game rooms and a bar that were operating the video gambling machines.

The undercover investigation was initiated following complaints from local citizens concerned about family members who were addicted to the gambling machines, said Sgt. Wayne Denson with the El Campo Police Department and member of the District Attorney’s narcotics task force.

“The chief complaints from those concerned citizens were that the machines were creating a financial burden. In essence, some people were spending all their money to play the machines instead of paying rent and making car payments. In one case, a woman reportedly lost her car from playing the machines,” Denson said.

In response to the complaints, undercover officers visited the shops, conducted surveillance and played the machines using marked money. The undercover officers were paid cash on their winnings in some stores, and in others were paid using scratch-off lottery tickets, or store merchandise, he said.

Deputies took 46 machines from the Fun Time Game Room in East Bernard and eight machines from the El Campo Truck Stop, Johnson said.

“We seized a large amount of cash,” Johnson said. Deputies are still counting the money.

No arrests have been made, but Johnson said they may come once McCowan decides who will be prosecuted.

A man who answered the phone at the El Campo Truck stop said no one was available to answer questions about the eight-liner machines and hung up.

Police in Wharton and El Campo executed search warrants at the same time, so businesses owners couldn’t tip each other off, McCowan said.

Five businesses inside the Wharton city limits were raided, with 80 machines seized, said Detective Sgt. Grady Smith with the Wharton Police Department who is a member of the task force.

In El Campo, five businesses were raided and 25 machines were seized, said Sgt. Wayne Denson with the El Campo Police Department and the task force.

Smith said it would be up to the court to decide what to do with the machines. One possibility is that the machines could be forfeited and sold at auction.

In Victoria, representatives from non-profit groups that run bingo fund raisers have complained that illegal eight-liner rooms are ruining their business.

Michael Sizemore, who represents the non-profits that operate Palace Bingo, said the Wharton County seizures are good news, but did not want to comment on how they might affect eight-liners in Victoria.

Even if investigators missed some game rooms, Johnson said he doubts they’ll be in business much longer.

“We’re a small county,” he said. “The word is out.”

Assisting the task force with the investigation and raid were officers from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Wharton County Sheriff’s Office, Wharton and El Campo police departments, Matagorda County Sheriff’s Office, Precinct 2 constable and the Texas Comptroller’s office.

Leslie Wilber is a reporter for the Victoria Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6521 or e-mail her at lwilber@vicad.com.

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