Alerted by a tip, police said winners could receive cash or drinks. The owner of the Fox Bar and Grill was arrested.
By JACOB H. FRIES
Published September 9, 2005
LARGO - Those who tried their luck on the illegal slot machines inside the Fox Bar and Grill could win as much as $60 - paid in cash or booze, police said.
On Wednesday, undercover detectives pulled the plug, confiscating the three machines inside the bar at 1158 Seventh St. NW and arresting owner James L. Moseley, 62, Largo police Officer Paula Crosby said. A bartender was cited.
The crackdown came after three weeks of investigation, which had begun with a tip, Crosby said.
Moseley was charged with possessing a coin operated device, a misdemeanor, and booked into the Pinellas County Jail. He was released after posting $250 bail.
He did not return messages at the bar, which remained open Thursday.
Crosby explained how gambling at the Fox worked: Winners generated points on the machines, which the bartender would then record.
The points could be cashed in for money or alcoholic beverages the next day.
All of the activity occurred in plain sight and was witnessed by detectives, Crosby said.
Before making the arrest Wednesday, the undercover detectives tried the slots themselves to determine whether the bartender would pay.
