WAVY.com undercover: Local gambling

HAMPTON, Va. - Three Hampton businesses are accused of running gambling operations. WAVY.com went undercover just before officers arrived.

Hampton Police raided Internet Time, Hampton Roads Billiards and Movie play on Friday, April 4. Officers say they seized more than 100 video slot machines.

"It's just like being in Las Vegas," said one Internet Time employee. "You can win thousands of dollars."

Inside, WAVY.com's undercover cameras recorded video gambling machines spinning round and round; businesses full of people pumping in hundreds of dollars in hopes of hitting the jackpot.

"What is the most anybody's ever won?," WAVY.com asked the employee.

"In this building, like 2000," he answered.

If it sounds too good to be legal that's because Hampton Police say it's not.

For two weeks WAVY.com investigated three Hampton businesses. We went undercover in Internet Time, Hampton Roads Billiards, and Movie Play to see how the operation worked.

"It's like slots," said the employee. "Like games. Games, you win money."

We visited Internet Time on several occasions. The business on East Pembroke Avenue is advertised as an Internet Cafe, yet WAVY.com undercover cameras didn't find anyone searching the web.

"You get a card and play the game," the employee told us. "You win money, come up to the desk, cash out and get cash."

An employee named "Q" wasn't bashful in explaining how the games worked. He handed over a card similar to a credit card and said it was a passport to gamble.

"This is the card we give you," he said. "You just load it on like a dollar, two dollars, three dollars, how ever you want to put on there and it stays on your card."

With one quick swipe the card is loaded with money. Customers then sit down at a computer, swipe again and choose from several games. One woman was playing a game she said was called "fastball".

"You pick your numbers," she said. "This is the chart to tell you how many balls drop. That is how much you win. You can win up to $400."

We asked "Q" what happens if we win.

"Just come up to the desk I give you the money," he said.

Before heading out WAVY.com had one more question for "Q".

"It's legal," we asked?

"Yeah," he replied.

"It's completely legal," we said?

"Uh huh," he answered.

Not according to what WAVY.com discovered. We checked into state law and found illegal gambling is defined as any bet or wager of money made in exchange for a chance to win a prize, stake or thing of value.

"We can win money right here," we asked a man inside Movie Play?

"Yeah. Yeah," he answered.

Inside Movie Play on King Street 52-year-old Randy Dillon told WAVY.com he found a way to skirt the law.

"How you get around it is somebody puts $5 dollars in that machine right there; they are renting two movies and when you rent two movies you can come over here and play," said Dillon. "This is a sweepstakes."

WAVY.com witnessed plenty of people who stood in line to reload their cards, but did not see anyone walking out with videos. Five days later, Hampton Police arrested Dillon.

Only WAVY.com was there as officers raided the three businesses at the center of our investigation. Detectives seized more than 100 video slot machines and $20-thousand dollars.

WAVY.com learned Dillon only managed Movie Play. According the Hampton Revenue Department John Worth, III owns that business as well as Hampton Roads Billiards. We also discovered Garrett Blackwelder opened Internet Time less than three months ago. He lives in North Carolina.

Neither Blackwelder nor Worth have been charged but Hampton Police say more arrests are coming.