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Couple Arrested In Gambling House Bust

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By BILLY TOWNSEND, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 23, 2007

LAKELAND - It looks innocent enough, just another storefront in a busy south Lakeland strip mall, nestled between Nail Boutique and Lynn's Fish 'n Pets.

But detectives say The Palms Redemption Arcade has been operating as an illegal gambling house full of video slot machines since it opened. On Monday, they arrested the owner of the business, Janet Bruggeman, 50, and her husband Joseph, 52.

Each faces one felony count of operating a gaming house and 46 misdemeanor counts of possession of video slot machines. No one else has been charged, but Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the investigation is ongoing.

Judd said detectives are interested in who supplied the machines, which were stacked close to one another in rows at the 5315 S. Florida Ave. arcade in Lakeland.

Judd said the machines would be seized and destroyed. No patrons will be charged.

The business, though billing itself as an arcade, had only video games meant for gambling and was restricted to customers older than 21, Judd said.

Players bought a debit card for use with the machines. The card kept track of wins and losses. Judd and detectives said the business would only redeem the cards for cash or on a credit card if winnings totaled more than $50. Otherwise, customers were told to hold on to the card and use it the next time they played.

The Bruggemans said they thought their operation was legal, Judd said.

'You would think they would have looked and wondered why they were the only operation of this kind in the county,' Judd said, adding, 'If they would have just called us ahead of time to ask, we could have saved them a lot of time and money.'

The Bruggemans had no comment when deputies walked them to a waiting patrol car.

Judd and Polk prosecutors have long focused on keeping adult businesses, particularly sex-related businesses, out of Polk County. They often have used arrests to gain leverage over the owners, operators and businesses to shutter them.

On Monday, Judd suggested he's more interested in getting 'compliance' from the Bruggemans and sending a message to would-be gambling houses than in throwing the book at them.

'The message is, don't come to Polk and violate the law, or we'll put you in jail,' he said.

Reporter Billy Townsend can be reached at (863) 284-1409 or wtownsend@tampatrib.com.

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