A Pell City video gambling arcade owner admitted guilt following months of investigation into his business practices. The Alabama Baptist played a role in the police investigation, which led to a raid of Rick Taylor’s The Treasure Chest Arcade.
The June raid took place after Taylor’s arcade was found to be giving out illegal cash payouts for winners of its games. On the day of the Oct. 10 trial, Taylor, of Oxford, agreed to a last minute plea bargain.
Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of promoting gambling and was given a six-month suspended sentence with one year probation. He is required to pay all court costs as well as $500 restitution to Pell City toward reimbursement of its legal and administrative fees that were expended toward the case.
Plea bargain
Part of Taylor’s plea bargain included having his other two charges dropped. Pending payment of court costs, charges will also be dismissed against two of Taylor’s employees at the time who handled the cash payout transactions, Rita Brooks Walker and Debra Crawford.
During the month of June, The Alabama Baptist did extensive coverage of video gambling in St. Clair County. This coverage came after an undercover investigation conducted by the paper revealed cash payouts, which are illegal in Alabama, were being distributed through Taylor’s two businesses.
Taylor, who operated and owned The Treasure Chest Arcade in Pell City, was paying arcade game winners in gift certificates, redeemable for cash at his Oxford pawn shop, The Golden Chain.
Taylor had been operating the arcade for only one month when the raid occurred.
He had moved his business into St. Clair County from neighboring Calhoun County where he had operated a video arcade by the same name behind his pawn shop.
He moved to Pell City because of forced arcade closings in Calhoun County by the district attorney’s office.
As a result of The Alabama Baptist’s investigative reporting, the PELL City Police Department was notified, and officers conducted a raid at the arcade and pawn shop.
Following the raids, Taylor, Brooks and Crawford were arrested and charged with gambling violations.
Prior to opening his arcade in Pell City, Taylor supplied stellar references on his city business license application including the mayor and police chief of Oxford as well as a local bank executive.
Taylor assured concerned city officials that he ran a legitimate business and abided by the state “Chuck E. Cheese law,” which allows video machine operators to pay game winners in $5 gift certificates.
Around the state
While St. Clair County has been able to resolve one adult arcade issue, other counties across the state continue to struggle with the legality of operating video gambling devices.
Jefferson County Sheriff Jim Woodward has once again ordered arcade operators in his county to cease operating.
This latest move came after an Aug. 30 ruling by Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Dan King.
The ruling said video gaming devices should stop operating across the state until higher courts ruled on their legality.
Woodward gave owners until Sept. 30 to comply. A spokesperson in the sheriff’s department said owners were complying with the closings.
However, one popular establishment in Birmingham, Winners World Arcade, is still operating its machines for “amusement purposes” only.
An arcade employee said that the business was keeping track of players winnings in the event that they were once again allowed to start paying out in gift certificates.
Share with others: