Trio of Businesses Are Facing Illegal Gambling Charges

Schulenburg Police seized several suspected gambling machines from three different businesses in town on Monday, July 22

Police Chief Troy Brenek said his department received some complaints about possible gambling activity at the businesses. In addition, he said one of the businesses advertised games that offered “cash payouts.”

Brenek said Texas gambling laws prohibit games of chance that offer cash prizes. Games of chance that offer merchandise prizes are legal. But Brenek said the games at all three of the businesses were paying cash

We decided to look into it and utilize some officers to basically play and win the machine,” Brenek said

Around 1 p.m. on Monday, Schulenburg officers entered the three businesses – Pilot Travel Center, Seven Day Deals and Shorthorn Express – and seized the machines.

Brenek said Pilot and Seven Day Deals leased the machines from the same company. A different company leased machines to Shorthorn Express, he said.

Brenek said the three businesses are disputing the charges, saying the machines were not games of chance, but rather games of skill, which may legally award cash prizes. However, Brenek said he believes they were in violation of Texas gambling laws.

Officers did not arrest any of the workers during the raid. But Brenek said criminal charges are pending.