TLDR Sarasota County authorities raided Spin 24/7 Social Club on March 30, seizing 66 slot machines and arresting two employees Florida’s Gaming Control Commission has seized over $14.4 million in cash and 6,700 illegal slot machines in 2025, more than doubling last year’s cash total Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez, charged in a $21.6 million illegal gambling ring, appeared in court on March 31 for a conflict-of-interest hearing All of Lopez’s co-defendants have accepted plea deals while his case heads to a May 18 proceeding Florida lawmakers failed to pass any major gambling enforcement legislation during the 2026 session, though a special session in late April could revive stalled bills
Florida is ramping up its fight against illegal gambling operations across the state. Law enforcement agencies have carried out a series of raids in recent months, seizing millions in cash and thousands of slot machines.
But while enforcement is picking up speed, the state legislature has failed to pass new laws that could give authorities more tools to fight the problem.
The latest bust came on March 30 in Sarasota County. The Sheriff’s Office worked with the Florida Gaming Control Commission to raid a business called Spin 24/7 Social Club.
Officers seized 66 slot machines and an undisclosed amount of cash from the location. Two employees, Mohamed Belyaqout and Mabielka C. Cumbrera, were arrested on charges including keeping a gambling house and possessing slot machines.
The operation follows a pattern of businesses using social club licenses to hide casino-style gambling from regulators.
In late February, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a two-day sting covering four counties. That operation hit 39 locations across Volusia, Brevard, Duval, and Flagler counties.
Authorities seized 525 illegal machines and roughly $190,000 in cash during those raids. A separate January operation