At least 10 arrested during Fort Worth vice operation targeting game rooms in the city
At least 10 men and women accused of game room violations have been arrested in a vice operation that targeted businesses throughout Fort Worth, Fort Worth police and city officials said on Friday.
Most of the arrests which occurred on Wednesday were for operating a game room without a permit and a few arrests were for people without game room signs.
Fort Worth police on Friday had not released details of the arrests or the exact number of people arrested.
Fort Worth code enforcement officials who accompanied Fort Worth police and vice officers also issued eight citations for incorrect certificate of occupancy, no game room permit and smoking. Penalties on those violations range from $250 to $2,000.
The arrests began about 10 a.m. on Wednesday and continued until almost 9 p.m. on Wednesday, according to jail records.
The youngest person arrested was 22 and the oldest was 60, according to the jail records.
The vice operation came just months after new Tarrant County regulations on game rooms went into effect. Tarrant County commissioners unanimously adopted an ordinance in November 2019 that requires permits for game room owners and sets rules regarding hours and locations. The regulations went into effect April 1. Among the rules for game rooms:
▪ A permit to operate.
▪ Hours are limited to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
▪ Game rooms cannot be within 1,500 feet of a school, church or residential neighborhood, or within 2,000 feet of another game room.
▪ An outside sign that reads “game room” must be displayed and at least two windows must provide “a clear and unobstructed view of all machines.”
Those arrested this week face fines and misdemeanor charges, according to the regulations.
Fort Worth police estimated there are more than 200 known game rooms in the city. Police estimated that there are between 300 and 350 when accounting for game rooms the city isn’t aware of.
