The Manatee County Sheriff's Office has seized more than $100,000 after raiding six illegal gambling sites.

According to Sheriff Brad Steube, the sheriff's office has been investigating illegal gambling operations throughout Manatee County in conjunction with the State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Illegal Gaming Task Force.

Undercover investigations led to the execution of six search warrants at suspected illegal gambling sites during the last few weeks.

There were four sites raided in Bradenton: Jack's Cafe on 14th Street, Bingoland on 14th Street, Orange Blossom Bingo on Cortez Road and Mt. Vernon Bingo on Kingston Drive. 

General Manager Zach Miller, whose business is located next door to Jack's Café, said he had a feeling something was going on.

“Whether it be 7 a.m. or 7 p.m., there was always a lot of people there. They would be closed down for a week then they would reopen and it would be suddenly full again," he said.

Pete Killingsworth, the owner of Bingoland and Orange Blossom Bingo in Bradenton, said he was shocked when detectives came into his bingo halls with search warrants and confiscated more than 300 of his electric bingo games and electronic pool tab machines. Killingsworth said those electronics are legal.

“Some of our games resembled the Internet Cafes and looked a little bit like them and maybe they just kind of you know, don’t understand the difference between the two," he said.

However, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office told Bay News 9 that any game for money including the traditional Paper Bingo and Pool Tab is illegal, unless it is run by a non-profit organization.

While Killingsworth's business is not a non-profit, he has been open for years and said he makes sure everything that everything that takes place is under the state guidelines.

“In my opinion, we were doing everything the way the law states and as far as we know we have nothing to hide. If we do, we don’t know what it is,” he said.

Killingsworth said Bingoland and Orange Blossom Bingo are staying open, and they are even having Bingo on their regularly scheduled days.

Warrants also were served at The Club on Lockwood Ridge Road in south Manatee County and at North Blossom Bingo on U.S. 301.

Detectives seized numerous items of contraband including over $117,000 in cash and more than 500 illegal electronic gambling devices.   

The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made as of yet.

Officials said there is also the possibility of additional search warrants at other locations.