Sarasota County deputies seized 76 illegal slot machines from two businesses on North Lockwood Ridge Road on Wednesday, Aug. 26, in a joint operation with the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC).

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said its Intelligence Unit, TAC Unit, Special Investigations Section and Patrol executed search warrants at both locations. Deputies pulled 28 machines from an unnamed business at 3503 N. Lockwood Ridge Road and 48 machines from Surf's Up at 6394 N. Lockwood Ridge Road.

No one was present at either business.

The Sheriff's Office filed misdemeanor charges against employees identified as working at both establishments. Capias requests, a type of arrest warrant, for maintaining a gambling house were forwarded to the State Attorney's Office for review. The agency did not name the employees or say how many were charged, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Under Florida law, slot machines are legal only at eight pari-mutuel facilities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and at certain tribal facilities, according to the FGCC. Operating a machine without an FGCC-issued license is a criminal offense.

Business owners who violate the law can face up to five years in prison and fines as high as $10,000 per machine.

The FGCC has said illegal gambling operations offer no consumer protections, no guarantee of fair play and no recourse if an operator disappears with a player's money. The commission has also linked illegal gambling houses to organized crime, money laundering, fraud and drug activity.

The FGCC's Division of Gaming Enforcement investigates illegal gambling across all 67 Florida counties. Since July 2022, the commission has seized nearly 11,000 illegal slot machines and more than $23 million in gambling proceeds statewide, according to a July 2026 FGCC anniversary announcement.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier highlighted the broader crackdown in a June 10 statement announcing a separate statewide operation that netted 479 machines and $294,000 in proceeds.

The FGCC advises residents to watch for signs of illegal gambling, including devices that look like slot machines outside of Miami-Dade or Broward counties, machines missing a visible FGCC license, devices awarding cash prizes and facilities offering sports betting, MySunCoast reported.

Residents who suspect illegal gambling can file a report at flgaming.gov/file-a-report or contact local law enforcement.