Police bust two ‘fish game’ arcades in Charlotte amid gambling crackdown
More than 170 gambling machines chattered. Armed security guards were inside. Some won big, and others lost.
Police say it was all illegal.
Patrons were gambling inside two arcade locations when Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department detectives executed search warrants, disabled machines and seized more than $95,000 Friday, according to a CMPD press release. Seen in footage provided by the police department, one arcade shut down was Ploutos on Old Sugar Creek Road. Authorities did not release the business names or identities of people charged.
Police charged the security guards, present at both the Old Sugar Creek Road and North Tryon Street locations, for providing armed security without a license. Three armed robbers held up the Old Sugar Creek Road location in April, according to WSOC-TV, The Charlotte Observer’s news partner.
Police also served individuals with two misdemeanor warrants unrelated to illegal gambling.
North Carolina’s gambling laws permit gambling only with the state-run lottery, inside casinos owned by Native American tribes, and with some bingo or raffle activities. But a restraining order — part of a lawsuit arcade owners brought against North Carolina law enforcement — blocked police from prosecuting those who ran arcades for years. Friday’s bust, which remains an active investigation, is one of the first operations since the restraining order lifted.
Businesses like Ploutos Arcade gained popularity while the restraining order was active.
“Fish games” — a video arcade game that allows multiple players to shoot at aquatic creatures making their way across a 55-inch TV screen nested below a six-foot game table — drew gamblers. Arcade operators maintained they’re following state law because patrons’ winnings are based on skill, not luck.
A 2022 North Carolina Supreme Court case, State vs. Sandhill Amusement, upheld the existing state law dictating games paying cash based mostly on a player’s luck — not their skill — are illegal. Carve-outs for state-sanctioned gambling venues remain.
CMPD also partnered with federal agencies in October, seizing video gaming machines and approximately $21,000.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published February 15, 2023 at 3:52 PM.
