Florida tightens grip on illegal slot machines after Daytona Beach raid

Florida authorities seized more than 70 slot machines and nearly $20,000 in cash following a raid on an alleged gambling house in Daytona Beach on 10 April 2026. 

Police attended a property on North Nova Road, where they found over 20 patrons attempting to flee through a rear exit. 

Willie Cord, 53, was subsequently arrested and charged with keeping a gambling house and possessing illegal slot machines.

Officers recovered 68 Fire Link gambling machines and four Fish Table machines, along with $19,860 in cash – some found inside the machines themselves, with over $11,000 located in an office on the premises.

The raid serves as a reminder of Florida's tightly regulated approach to slot machine gaming. Under state law, slot machines are only permitted at eight licensed pari-mutuel facilities and certain tribal venues. Penalties for unlicensed possession can reach $10,000 per machine.

The incident comes amid broader legislative efforts to strengthen enforcement in the state. In January 2026, Senator Clay Yarborough introduced SB 1164, a sweeping reform bill that would introduce felony charges for slot machine trafficking, with fines of up to $500,000 for large-scale operations. 

The bill would also consolidate regulatory authority at the state level and explicitly prohibit illegal online gambling outside the existing Seminole Tribe gaming compact.

Meanwhile, Florida's ongoing crackdown on illegal gaming has drawn attention to related questions around sweepstakes casinos. In late 2025, the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance pushed back against House Bill 591, which sought to prohibit illegal gambling statewide and could affect sweepstakes-based gaming operations. 

The SGLA argued that such platforms operate legally under existing Florida consumer protection and sweepstakes laws, and expressed hope for continued dialogue with state legislators.