(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said its recent crackdown on illegal gambling in the City is in an effort to reduce crime rates, which can be exacerbated by businesses like those that repeatedly reopened and offered gambling opportunities to patrons.

According to CSPD, the Metro Division was alerted earlier in the year of at least 34 illegal gambling locations around the city. CSPD said investigators began an educational campaign, and while most of the establishments shut down once informed their operation was illegal, some continued to operate.

CSPD investigated for months, taking calls and tips from the community about establishments that were offering these kinds of illegal gambling. During one such investigation, a person tried to burn down one of the businesses while CSPD was inside conducting a search.

Lt. Mark Chacon with CSPD said some of these businesses were aware that their activities were illegal, but continued to operate.

“All of them knew what they were doing and still continued to do it,” said Chacon. “Hence, why, in November we executed about four search warrants where we actually took the gaming devices, which were the slot machines and simulated gambling machines.”

CSPD seized over 120 illegal gambling machines, however, despite having their machines confiscated, one of the establishments reopened. Chacon said businesses like this are a particular nuisance to the community because crime rates increase in the areas near them, and neighboring businesses, which have not violated state law, have to deal with the repercussions.

“These places do bring a lot of criminal activity, we see that… within our calls for service in those areas. We also see that with the complaints that we receive from businesses that are operating in the same area,” said Chacon. “A lot of drug activity, a lot of other violent type of crimes that occur in those areas, and so that’s one of our main focuses, is trying to reduce that crime.”

Gambling is legal in certain places in Colorado, like Cripple Creek and Black Hawk, but Chacon explained that the reason for that is the heavily enforced registries of gaming machines and oversight by the Colorado Gaming Commission. None of the machines at these businesses had been registered, which Chacon said constitutes a Class Five Felony.

Some of these businesses were originally facing misdemeanor charges, however, the felony charges for failure to register a gaming machine with the Gaming Commission could also coincide with money laundering charges, Chacon said.

Chacon said some of the patrons of these businesses may not have been aware that the games they were participating in were illegal, but the business operators and even the property owners can be held liable for the charges that will result from the investigation.

Some of the businesses may have even had signs explaining to their customers why their operations were legitimate, but Chacon said the investigation has revealed that is not the case. He explained that if a machine accepts money, and a player can win money in return, instead of coupons or prizes, that constitutes gambling, which is illegal in the City of Colorado Springs.