New Jersey: Trenton Police Seize More Than 70 Slot Machines in Gambling Investigation

Officers went into businesses across Trenton, New Jersey, on Monday, October 5, 2026, and came out with more than 70 slot machines. A Philadelphia man police describe as the main suspect has been charged, according to police accounts reported by local outlets.

The raids followed an 11-month investigation into slot-style machines that police say were operating at more than 30 Trenton businesses. Philadelphia police arrested the suspect, Harry B. Almonte, 33, at his home, Patch reported.

How the case was built

Detectives from the Trenton Police Department’s Alcohol and Beverage Control Unit and the New Jersey State Police Financial Crimes Unit led the investigation. Police said the machines were being used for personal gain.

The case began in November 2025, after state police received a tip about slot machines in bodegas around Trenton, according to the charging documents, as NJ.com reported. During the investigation, undercover officers visited the businesses, and detectives followed Almonte and tracked him by GPS, the outlet reported.

When search warrants were carried out on October 5, Trenton officers had help from the New Jersey State Police, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and police from Hopewell, Ewing, West Windsor and Robbinsville, according to Patch and Peterson’s Breaking News of Trenton. Officers also seized numerous items allegedly used to run the gambling.

In a statement, the department said illegal gambling in the city “will not be tolerated in any form.”

Who faces charges

Trenton police charged Almonte with maintaining a gambling resort, which covers keeping a place used for illegal gambling, as well as possessing gambling devices, promoting gambling and money laundering.

Business owners were issued complaint summonses, charging papers that require them to answer in court, for maintaining a gambling resort and possessing gambling devices. Police did not identify the owners or the businesses, or say how many owners were charged, Peterson’s reported.

The charging documents say none of the businesses had a license for a slot machine or game of chance, according to NJ.com.

These are allegations. Almonte and the business owners are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, and the reports reviewed did not mention a plea or a court date.

The cash and the count

Authorities also seized more than $100,000 while executing the warrants, Peterson’s reported, and Casino.org reported the same amount. That figure describes cash seized during the operation, not a calculation of net profit. Casino.org reported that authorities linked the cash to the unregulated machines; that allegation is not a court finding.

The exact numbers vary slightly between outlets. Patch and Peterson’s reported more than 70 machines and more than 30 businesses, while Casino.org described at least 30 businesses and residences. NJ.com reported 70 machines at 32 bodegas, barber shops and corner stores.

In a separate North Carolina case, GameEmpress reported on a Raleigh sweepstakes-parlor investigation that led to five people being charged. There is no indication the two cases are connected.

New Jersey lawmakers are also weighing a change on the casino side. A Senate bill, S597, would replace criminal penalties for underage casino gambling with civil fines. GameEmpress reported on October 1 that it had not been voted on.

How to report illegal gambling

Anyone with information about illegal gambling in Trenton can call the police department’s non-emergency line at 609-989-4000, the number listed on the city’s police department page.

Featured image: File photo of a New Jersey State Police patrol car in Ewing, New Jersey, in April 2015. Photo: Famartin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)