Five people have pled guilty to being involved in an illegal gambling operation in Flint involving so-called “pig games.” The defendants await sentencing in early December after having been arrested and charged by state authorities following an investigation by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) in early 2024.
The MGCB found that 41 computer gaming stations were operating at the Hot Spot Skill Arcade, which is located at 5542 Fenton Road in Flint. An undisclosed amount of cash was also seized.
You may not know just what a “pig game” is. It’s quite different than any retail or online casino game you may see. However, it’s important to recognize one if you see one, especially with the MGCB cracking down on the games.
Why ‘pig games’ are illegal in Michigan
Authorities say slot style games were seized in Flint in the raid, machines they call “pig” games.
A pig game is another name for a “coin pusher” device. In these types of games, coins fall onto a platform or into a tray as a result of the player pulling a lever or pushing buttons. The number of coins that travel or are “pushed” into the play slot are the prize. The amount a player can win depends on how many coins they feed the machine (hence the term “pig”).
Coin pushers and pig machines are not games of skill and are considered fringe gaming entertainment. Most legal casinos do not have them, and the machines are prone to being manipulated to make it difficult for coins to end up in the prize area. Players are also known to shake the machines to dislodge coins.
It’s also difficult to know how much a player has lost because most coin pushers do not have displays that show what your bet was, like a typical slot machine does.
Five to be sentenced on Dec. 2
In this Flint situation, five defendants entered guilty please on various charges:
- Victoria Adams, 64, of Flint
- Michael Bixby, age 48 of Holly
- Jeffrey Ladd, 52, of Ortonville
- Michelle Teall, age 58, of Holly
- Courtney Thompson, 57, of Fenton
Bixby and Ladd face the harshest possible penalties after each pled to one count of conducting a gambling operation without a license. That offense is a 10-year felony. Adams, Teall, and Thompson each pled to a high court misdemeanor for the charge of maintaining a gambling house for gain. That misdemeanor carries the possibility of two-years under sentencing guidelines.
Located in a strip mall building, Hot Spot Skill Arcade housed casino slot-style gambling machines. At least some of the machines were running on software provided by TS Trading Systems and operating as the “pig” style machines.
The five defendants will be sentenced on December 2.
MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams commented on the matter in a press release emailed to PlayMichigan.
“Thanks to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and her team, who are such important enforcement partners in these cases, the upcoming sentencing of the defendants on December 2 will mark yet another significant and successful outcome resulting in accountability and enforcement of gaming regulations to protect the integrity of gaming in Michigan.”
Michigan continues to target illegal gambling
Since the state launched legal online sports betting and casinos in 2021, state authorities have cracked down on illegal operations.
Non-licensed gaming sites have been raided in multiple towns throughout the years. According to the MGCB, 48 locations have also been served with cease-and-desist letters since November 2022. Those instances have involved an alleged 105 illegal machines. Other notable raids have taken place in:
The machines found in Flint at Hot Spot Skill Arcade have been destroyed.
Attorney General Dana Nessel previously commented on the crackdown by the MGCB with the following:
“The machines destroyed by the MGCB are the tools of criminals, cheating their neighbors of their hard-earned money as well as the state out of gaming revenues that support our schools. Illegal gaming operations are a danger to their communities, typically becoming local hotspots for other crimes and violence. We will continue to coordinate with the Michigan Gaming Control Board to ensure our state’s gambling laws are strictly enforced.”
