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Five suspects were arrested following an investigation into an illegal gambling operation at an arcade in southeast Charlotte, according to police.
Those arrested included 40-year-old Jianwang Zhu, 54-year-old Haiong Zhang, 43-year-old Xiong Yang, 34-year-old Aaron Johnson, and 33-year-old Jose Garica. CMPD’s Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) conducted a search warrant at 999 Arcade off East Independence Boulevard.
As a result, police said they seized 102 illegal gambling stations, nearly $40,000 in cash, and two firearms. All are facing gambling-related offenses.
Johnson was also charged with providing unlicensed armed security, according to police.
While details were not published as to the types of casino games being offered, most tend to be skill-oriented with the most popular game being the so-called fish arcade. These games are so popular that one online casino features nearly a dozen titles.
Why People Get So Hooked on Fish Arcades
Fish arcades are so popular that at least one online casino we know features nearly a dozen titles. North Carolina itself does not regulate online casinos.
North Carolina itself does not regulate online casinos, nor do any of the online casinos operating in the eight U.S. states that currently license online gaming.
One can typically find these games on sweepstakes casinos that offer virtual currencies used for redemption of prizes. Sweepstakes casinos are not prohibited in the state of North Carolina. Some of these platforms offer fishing-style arcade games such as:
- Fishing Kingdom
- Thunder Fishing
- Candy Heroes
- Emily's Treasure
- King Octopus
The object of these arcades is to feed money into the machine to buy "bullets" then shoot the fish as they swim across the screen. The bigger the fish, the more money you win. More expensive bullets purchased, the higher the payouts as well.
They combine the following elements:
- slot machines,
- video games,
- gambling,
- and social competition.
Police Trolling These NC Waters for Years
Law enforcement in North Carolina have been raiding what they say are illegal gambling arcades for at least the past two years now.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police filed some 800 plus charges in connection to illegal "fish arcades" in 2024 alone.
NC law enforcement considers these games to be gambling and illegal in a state that does have casinos.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police made it clear how they feel about this type of betting.
“These fish arcades and other illegal gambling locations are havens for criminal activity,” CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said in a news release. “Often the most vulnerable members of our communities are targeted to gamble at these locations. We are very thankful for our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to help us send a message that we will not tolerate these establishments preying on our citizens.”
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
