JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says two men have been arrested after a raid uncovered what investigators describe as an illegal gambling house operating out of an unmarked building on the city’s Northside.

According to an arrest report, 32-year-old Mahab Alhanna and 39-year-old Stanley Burke were taken into custody after JSO’s Vice Unit and SWAT team executed a search warrant Friday night at a building on Haverford Road. Officers found multiple gambling machines inside, which were seized and released to the Florida Gaming Commission.

JSO said in the report that its Vice Unit has taken note of a growing number of illegal gambling establishments across Duval County, often marketed as “Internet Cafes” or “Adult Arcades.” Many of these businesses, the agency said, have no signs outside and little indication of what’s actually happening inside.

“Members of the JSO Vice Unit have taken note of the growing number of illegal gambling establishments within the Duval County area,” the report states. “Patrol officers in Duval County have responded to these gambling establishments for a variety of crimes to include homicides, shootings, robberies, and burglaries.”

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Investigators say because large amounts of cash are often kept inside, many of these game rooms hire armed security guards to protect the business — a move that’s led to violent incidents in the past.

Attorney Chris Carson told Action News Jax these kinds of operations can rake in significant money, which is part of what keeps them going.

“Anytime there is a lot of money that theoretically could be made, you always end up with people who are willing to run the risk of something like this happening — being arrested or prosecuted for it — because there’s just so much money,” Carson said.

JSO says the gaming machines found inside included “Fire Link,” “Fish Table,” and internet-based slot games, all considered illegal under Florida law.

The report shows Alhanna was taken into custody outside the building as SWAT officers executed the search. Both Alhanna and Burke were booked into the Duval County Jail.

They’re each facing charges of aiding in a lottery, owning a slot machine, and keeping a gambling house.

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