Angry Gamer Fires Up Console Following Loss, Retaliated by Enraged Player with Gunshot
In Houston, Texas, on Wednesday, a violent incident involving an 8-liner machine occurred at the MVP Food Store in the Kashmere Gardens area of North Houston. According to reports, a woman set the gaming machine alight after a losing streak, sparking an argument with another woman that led to a shooting.
The first woman was taken to the hospital and is reported to be in stable condition. The second woman, who shot the first woman in the abdomen, fled the scene and remains at large as of Wednesday.
This incident is not an isolated case in Texas. Illegal gambling operations using machines like 8-liners or sweepstakes machines are common, despite laws prohibiting cash prizes. The American Gaming Association has called for intensified crackdowns given the large scale and growth of such illegal activities.
Texas has strict laws banning cash prizes on sweepstakes machines or 8-liners. However, enforcement challenges persist, and illegal gambling operations using these machines remain prevalent. The recent spike in illegal gambling revenue is partly attributed to unregulated machines, which have increased by an estimated 7.7% nationally, posing a major threat to regulated gaming and state tax revenue.
Illegal gambling market in the U.S., including Texas, has grown significantly in recent years, driven partly by unregulated “skill” machines and sweepstakes-style gaming devices, which often operate under the guise of legality but still enable cash rewards or equivalent payouts.
Sweepstakes machines eliminate the stake to conform to the law, awarding players time on the machines for "free" with the purchase of a product. However, this loophole has been exploited by illegal operators. For instance, a group of thieves embarked on a crime spree last year, stealing 8-liner machines, claiming to be from the non-existent "Texas Gaming Commission."
It is not mentioned whether slots are illegal in Texas in this article. However, cash prizes are illegal under Texas law. Prizes must have a wholesale value of no more than $5, or ten times the cost to play the game. This is known as the "fuzzy animal exception." 8-liners usually offer tickets that can be redeemed for merchandise as prizes.
The incident at the MVP Food Store serves as a stark reminder of the prevalence of illegal gambling in Texas. Law enforcement continues to work diligently to combat these illegal activities, as evidenced by reported crackdowns on illicit sweepstakes parlors and 8-liner venues in Houston and other cities.
This article was last updated on June 23, 2025, at 08:05h. The initial news article was posted on November 26, 2021, at 09:03h. The manager of the grocery store was able to extinguish the fire caused by the woman's actions. Authorities urged business owners to be aware of the laws regarding these machines and to avoid operating them illegally.
The incident at the MVP Food Store is a example of the prevalence of illegal casino-and-gambling activities in Texas, specifically involving 8-liner machines. Despite general-news reports of crackdowns on such illegal operations, they continue to pose a threat to regulated gaming and state tax revenue, as evidenced by the increase in unregulated "skill" machines and sweepstakes-style gaming devices. Crime-and-justice authorities continue to encourage strict enforcement of laws banning cash prizes on these machines.
