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COLUMBIA, SC -- Officers of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrested seven individuals in early March. Some were charged with misdemeanor possession of gambling devices, which carries fines of up to $500. Other defendants were charged with felony operation of a gambling house, which can result in a $1,000 fine and six months in prison.
In connection with the arrests, SLED officials also seized more than a dozen video poker machines from three locations in Lancaster County.
The raids followed weeks of undercover investigations that began in February at the urging of local police, acting on complaints and tips from citizens.
The state Legislature outlawed South Carolina's $2 billion video poker market almost 11 years ago.
