<b>By Christin Coyne</b><br><a href="mailto:ccoyne@mineralwellsindex.com">ccoyne@mineralwellsindex.com</a>
Police arrested three business owners on gambling charges related to an investigation of two businesses that allegedly gave cash to undercover officers
Bhup Narayan Bista, 38, of Mineral Wells, was arrested at Bob Tobacco House in the 1600 block of S.E. 1st Street around 4 p.m. Monday and Shailendra Pokhrel, 42, of Fort Worth, was arrested at The Handy Stop in the 1600 block of S.W. 5th Avenue around 5 p.m. Monday.
Rebecca Florence Stricklin, 47, of Mineral Wells, was arrested at her residence around 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to police.
Bistra and Stricklin allegedly gave cash prizes to undercover officers playing the eight-liner machines at Bob Tobacco House. Both of their names are also on the business lease, according to police.
Pokhrel is also accused of giving cash prizes to undercover officers at the Handy Stop.
Bond for each was set at $7,500 and all bonded out Tuesday, according to jail records.
When asked Tuesday whether he had been operating legally, Pokhrel told the Index, “Maybe, I don’t know.”
Search warrants for both businesses were executed Dec. 30.
Six eight-liner machines and more than $20,000 cash were seized during the raids.
Pokhrel denied giving cash prizes to those who won, saying he gave out small things like drinks.
The day the machines were taken from his store, Bista also denied giving out cash prizes and said he only gave gift items and things like candy to winners.
The arrests Monday and Tuesday close the gambling investigations at both businesses but others are ongoing, according to Mineral Wells Police Chief Mike McAllester.
“This is only the beginning of investigation into the operation of gambling [using] eight-liners,” McAllester said. Other gambling cases have been made for other locations in Mineral Wells, according to McAllester.
“In other cases, they made payment and winnings of … alcohol, fuel and other merchandise,” McAllester said.
“At some point we will be getting search warrants for operators at those locations,” McAllester said.
McAllester said operators generally charge $1 for 10 spins at the machine. It is illegal for operators to give prizes out that are worth more than the $1 spent on the play, even if it is $5, according to McAllester.
“The temptation is to program them and set them to pay off [more often so they make money],” McAllester said.
Operators of eight-liners are banned from making money with the machines, though, according to McAllester.
“All operators have been warned,” McAllester said.
