Alleged Illegal Gaming in Lubbock Puts Some Gamerooms in the Hot Seat
By: Brittany Escobar
Updated: June 25, 2012
"All the people that played over here was just little old ladies something to do retired it's their money if they want to put it in there put it in there."
Francis Bilbrey said she knows what these game room owners are going through.
"I owned one of them in 1998, 99 and they shut them all down," she said.
The under-cover operation started after the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office received complaints of illicit gambling where 8-liner sites were giving out cash prizes or merchandise to winners.
"I feel sorry for the people who like to play it gives them something to do and what were they hurting," said Bilbrey.
The 8-liner machines or video game type equipment were paying out those lucky winners more than the law allows.
"Anything that has any relation to the illicit gambling will be seized including machines, " said LT. Bryan Taylor.
Machines that Bilbrey said cost anywhere from 2,000-4,000 dollars.
"Its just stupid," she said.
Bilbrey said one of her business tenants owns Party Time Games and because of the raid he's now down and out after loosing 32 of his gaming machines.
"We need jobs and if this gives somebody a job, what's it hurting," she said.
The Lubbock County Sheriff's Department said cash prizes are one of the biggest problems.
But Bilbrey said that's not what she won.
"You didn't win any money you won tickets and you played them back."
