An illegal gambling crackdown in Jacksonville, Florida, has resulted in the closure of ten venues across the city. Five individuals have been arrested for racketeering.
Police say more than a dozen locals were involved in a gambling ring that had been operating since at least 2021.
HAPPENING NOW: Your #JSO is serving multiple search warrants at multiple homes and businesses throughout the city. Several people are in custody and there is no danger to the general public.
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) December 11, 2024
We are working a long-term investigation with state and federal partners. We will… pic.twitter.com/p25U3nXOo8
“We are working a long-term investigation with state and federal partners. We will provide more details as soon as possible,” the Jacksonville Sherrif’s Office posted to social media platform X last Wednesday. “Several people are in custody and there is no danger to the general public.”
Defendant Jerry Bass was found to be at the center of the 2013 Allied Veterans of the World case when a Jacksonville lawyer was convicted of using the veterans' organization to cover up a $300 million gambling operation.
Action News Jax spoke with a witness who lives near defendant Ryan Strickland, the owner of two of the properties. They said: “All day long. A lot of activity. A lot of in and out. It was all day and to see all of his vehicles towed away — it was sad. I feel for the family.”
Status of Legal Gambling in Florida in Flux in 2024
The crackdown on illegal Florida gambling operations is not the only legal dispute on gaming that Florida has experienced in 2024.
The Sunshine State was home to one of the most high-profile gambling lawsuits in the U.S. over the Seminole Tribe's exclusive rights to legal sports betting. The Seminole Tribe-operated Hard Rock Sportsbook launched in November 2021 but had to shut down in December 2021 following a lawsuit from local pari-mutuel sports betting operators.
That legal case rumbled on until 2024, despite Hard Rock Bet going live again in December 2023. The case was pushed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, with the court’s decision not to hear it in June giving Hard Rock Bet a runway to operate in Florida.
The legal dispute finally came to an end in October when the Seminole Tribe agreed a deal with West Flagler Partnership, with plans to add jai alai to Hard Rock Bet in 2025.
While the operator has discussed allowing other commercial sportsbooks to operate in the Sunshine State in the future, Hard Rock Bet has made the most of being the only sportsbook available in Florida. The betting site is the official sports betting partner of the Florida Panthers in the NHL and the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL while also signing agreements with local businesses like Duffy’s Sports Grill.
Meanwhile, the definition of Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) has also impacted that market, with popular U.S. operator PrizePicks pausing operations in Florida in February.
The Florida Gaming and Control Commission sent a cease and desist letter to the site for operating illegally in FL in January. Betr was also forced to exit the state, while other DFS operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel continued offering games without interruption. PrizePicks returned to Florida in April, bringing its PrizePicks Arena game to the state.
