Authorities Crack Down on Illegal Gambling

ALBUQUERQUE -- State authorities are cracking down on illegal gambling, from a Super Bowl betting pool in Albuquerque to a high-stakes poker game in southern New Mexico.

Seven people were arrested over the weekend in Hobbs after agents with the state Department of Public Safety's Special Investigations Division raided an illegal poker game.

"This wasn't your friendly penny-ante game. This is serious money," said special agent Lou Mallion.

In Albuquerque, undercover agents with the state Gaming Control Board Enforcement Division received a tip that a local retailer had a betting pool for the Super Bowl.

Two days before the game, agents entered The Egg Store and saw the pool posted by the cash register. One hundred participants paid $2 per square for a chance to win $100 at halftime and $100 at the end of the game.

No charges were filed, but the case was still under investigation.

Copyright © Las Vegas Sun. Inc. Republished with permission.

< Gaming News