Manatee County officials are pursuing new rules to tighten regulations on illegal slot gambling machines that have become a widespread problem in the Bradenton area.
Commissioner Tal Siddique shared his proposal Tuesday at the Board of County Commissioners meeting, directing county staff to draft an ordinance based on Marion County’s similar rules. Siddique said the new policy is in response to a recent investigation by the Bradenton Herald and Suncoast Searchlight.
“Other counties, including Marion, Sumter, Seminole and Osceola, have acted to regulate them,” Siddique wrote in the agenda memo. “To reduce crime, revitalize neighborhoods and attract business, Manatee County must adopt its own local regulations.”…