Police search Kettering store and West Carrollton home; arrest one person for illegal gambling

The South Dixie address is the headquarters of Computer Internet Café Inc., according to business records filed with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.

“Kettering was investigating … an illegal gambling operation,” Green said. “They were conducting raids there, going in and gambling. And they got enough money for a search warrant.”

The Dixie Drive store’s large glass front windows are covered with opaque covers, and an electronic keypad and bell are located next to the front door to enter the store. The internet cafe is across Dixie Drive from Walmart, in the same building as Buckin Donkey Grill, which announced Thursday that it was temporarily closed.

The West Carrollton residence is linked to gambling crimes at the Kettering business, he said.

In a separate raid in March, Dayton police and the Ohio Casino Control Commission seized about 100 machines at a Dayton Internet cafe as part of an investigation into illegal gambling. Investigators also confiscated money after executing a search warrant at the Lucky Day Internet Cafe at 1880 Needmore Road, Dayton police Sergeant Jason Rhodes said.

Rhodes said at the time that Lucky Day Internet Café would be declared a nuisance due to the city’s policy regarding illegal gambling, but the owners could appeal.

Internet cafes evolved from competition cafes where people could win prizes, such as internet time or phone cards, when they bought a product or service.

The cafes came under close scrutiny, and Governor Mike DeWine, then Ohio Attorney General, said the cafes were evading the law by installing machines that looked and functioned similarly to illegal slot machines.

Editors Kristen Spicker and Jen Balduf contributed to this report.