Over $200k seized in Salisbury arcade gambling operation investigation
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SALISBURY, N.C. (WBTV) - The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office seized almost a quarter-million dollars following an illegal gambling operation investigation.
The investigation at Duck Arcade Sweepstakes located on Mooresville Road in Salisbury began in March 2021 and 41-year-old Jindeng Dong was arrested on May 31, 2022.
Dong ran Duck Arcade Sweepstakes, which was operating under the guise of a legal arcade. On March 19, 2021, June 18, 2021, March 31, 2022, and April 7, 2022, an undercover investigator played server-based video games violating state law. The games allowed patrons to receive cash equal to credits earned and to bet more than eight credits per play. These games did not involve skill or dexterity and winners and losers were each chosen randomly.
With the help of the Salisbury Police Department, a state search warrant was executed at the arcade and it was determined that the business had 95 playing stations with multiple gaming stations in violation of state law.
Dozens of CPU’s, monitors, and gambling-related equipment were seized to include surveillance cameras, printers, accounting systems and money counters, two firearms, ammunition, assorted receipts and documents and $126,149.
Dong, a resident of Salisbury was doing business under the name of Dong Business, Inc. Multiple other employees of the business were also identified, with some being natives of China and Mexico, in addition to North Carolina.
During a search warrant at Dong’s home, assorted documents, a money counting machine and $155,628 were seized.
He was charged with slot machine or device defined (misdemeanor), gambling (misdemeanor), operate/possess slot machine (misdemeanor), operating five or more gaming machines (felony), and certain game promotions unlawful (felony). Dong appeared before a Rowan County Magistrate Judge and was placed under a $5,000 secured bond.
