In recent months, Hampton Roads in Virginia Beach has been cracking down on illegal gambling activities, as the city as seen the proliferation of Internet gambling centers popping up all over town, from storefronts to strip malls.
After months of investigations that involved the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Attorney Harvey Bryant, as well as federal law enforcement officials, the Virginia Beach police force raided 11 local stores, seizing more than 400 computers in a scene that resembled a serious drug bust. In addition to the computers that were confiscated, law enforcement officials also photographed the stores, scenes, and customers, and shut down the businesses.
Virginia Beach officials said that the main reason they took the time to photograph the customers in each of the stores that was raided was not to charge the individuals with crimes, but in order to document who was there when the raids were made. Criminal charges are likely forthcoming regarding the contents of these computers, and as investigators learn more about what is on the computers, charges will begin to be made.
Internet gambling has become very widespread, and many states and cities have watched as this new industry has arrived in their neighborhoods and set up shop in gambling centers located in homes and local stores. Many of these cities and states have been unprepared or unwilling to do anything about the problem, but Virginia Beach law enforcement authorities said that once they saw these activities making their way into their city, they were prepared to crack down on it.
Virginia Beach officials said that in order to combat the proliferation of illegal gambling activities they had been seeing much more of lately, they acted quickly to seize evidence once a decision was made that a particular activity was illegal.
Virginia Beach police are hoping that by acting on the information they receive regarding illegal gambling activity and seriously enforcing it, they will send an effective message to all residents that gambling is illegal and that anyone wishing to partake in it will have to go elsewhere if they wish to continue.
One of the reasons that online gambling has increased so quickly in the Hampton Roads area is that Virginia Beach has a significant lack of business and zoning regulations, making it easy for individuals to set up gambling centers like the ones that were raided. Although there is not a specific Virginia state law against Internet gambling cafes, it is up to local authorities as to whether these businesses are in violation of other local ordinances.
