‘We’re not gonna stop’: Daytona Beach police bust 2nd illegal gambling hall in as many weeks

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona Beach police say they’ve broken up another illegal gambling operation.

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It’s the second such establishment they’ve busted this month. Chief Jakari Young says they’re becoming breeding grounds for violent crime.

Police responded Monday morning to serve a search warrant on the business on North Nova Road.

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From the outside, there were no indications that the establishment was even occupied.

However, on the inside, blacked-out windows concealed dozens of brightly-colored slot machines and other games.

Chief Young says their approach to targeting these establishments is part of a proactive approach to stopping violent crime.

“This is what it’s all about,” Young said. “These places lack the proper security, which results in shootings and robberies.”

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Police say they made one arrest in connection to Monday’s bust.

Young says they’re aware of several more illegal gambling halls still operating in the city, and they can expect to be next.

“As I review crime reports, seeing certain addresses, they’re attached to violent crimes...shootings, robberies, batteries,” Young explained. “That’s how they end up on our radar screen to begin with.”

Young says once they start identifying certain locations in their crime reports and learn that illegal gambling establishments are the underlying issue, they then serve warrants to shut them down.

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“We’re not gonna stop until we get them all,” Young said.

On April 18, police shut down an illegal gambling establishment on Mason Ave. that they said was linked to several other crimes in the area.

Young called that operation one of the more “sophisticated” establishments they’d seen, with dozens of games and slot machines.

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