Gambling investigation

Six arrests were made in connection to an illegal gambling allegation made against four businesses and their electronic eight-liner slot machines in Odessa,  a Department of Public Safety spokesman said Thursday.

DPS spokesman Tom Vinger from Austin would not release the names of the six that were arrested pending an ongoing investigation, nor did he provide a specific number of arrest warrants issued, but more arrests were coming following the raids of the four businesses.

Vinger said the DPS criminal intelligence investigators started the raids Thursday morning and ended up seizing more than 200 slot machines from:

>> Reno Lights Internet Café, 4603 Andrews Highway,

>> Sweepstakes Triple Fun Internet Café, 2615 N. Grandview Ave.,

>> Party Game, 4555 E. University Blvd., and

>> Texas e-Store, on the corner of Seventh Street and Allred Avenue.

A man that worked near one of the businesses, who declined to be identified, said he saw at least one person taken out of the Sweepstakes Internet Café in handcuffs.

Vinger said the DPS was accusing the four businesses of offering an illegal amount of cash or prizes for the slot machines they were operating. He did not have more specific information on the allegations, which were made by the Ector County Attorney.

Calls to the Ector County Attorney were not answered Thursday.

While DPS investigators could be seen searching through files, drawers and other items inside the businesses from outside, troopers and investigators in civilian clothing turned customers away as they shut the stores down.

The Sweepstakes Internet Café was robbed last week by two men while 10 customers and employees were inside. Odessa Police Cpl. Sherrie Carruth said it was too soon for them to know if there was any connection between the illegal gambling allegations and that robbery.