IONA, Fla. — A mother and son were arrested after, deputies say, they robbed an adult arcade in Iona, raising questions about whether such establishments are even legal in Lee County.
Watch as Iona Community Correspondent, Anvar Ruziev, digs into what happens when deputies arrive to an adult arcade:
According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Jose Baez Suarez walked into Kings World Arcade off McGregor Boulevard last Friday morning, held an employee at gunpoint, and fled with cash.
Deputies say his mother, Yideyla Suarez Cedeno, was waiting outside in the getaway car.
The pair were arrested four days later in Cape Coral. Detectives recovered a BB gun, cash, and clothing that matched video evidence from the scene.
Danielle, a regular customer at the arcade, told me she arrived shortly after the robbery occurred and found the establishment surrounded by crime scene tape and deputies.
"It's kind of scary. Like I would be scared working at an arcade for sure," Danielle said.
When asked about the types of machines inside, Danielle described them as similar to casino games where customers play for real money.
"Slot machines, just like going to, um, our Hard Rock casino. We come in here we put money in the slot machines and we try to win big, put $20 in and sometimes I can turn it into a hundred or $500," Danielle said.
The Florida Gaming Control Commission reports that law enforcement is not required to report these types of businesses, although they do receive reports regularly. Operating unlicensed machines could result in a $10,000 fine per device.
However, attorney Chad Cummings explains that enforcement isn't typically a high priority for local law enforcement.
"Sheriff's offices don't view it as being really a high priority item, right? They've got much more pressing issues to deal with. Violent crime being one of the most obvious," Cummings said.
Under current Florida law, slot machines are illegal outside of Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and tribal lands. Cummings believes that without tougher penalties, enforcement will remain limited.
The Florida Gaming Control Commission would neither confirm nor deny whether Kings World Arcade is under investigation.
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