Officer Chris Rankin

Public Information Officer

903-798-3187 (office) 903-260-0294 (pager)

903-824-4199 (cell) 903-798-3023 (fax)

Texarkana Arkansas Police Badge

Re: Police Raid "8-Liner" Establishment

The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department served a search warrant today at The Tropical Oasis in the 2300 block of East Broad. It is suspected that this location has been an ongoing illegal gambling establishment. In addition to the search warrant, an arrest warrant was served at the scene on the manager, Christina Wade (w/f/26 Texarkana, TX).

The owners of the establishment, Kenneth Bowman (w/m/42 Texarkana, TX) and Mary Bowman (w/f/40 Texarkana, TX) were later arrested at the Bi-State Justice Center. Both Bowmans and Wade are charged with Keeping a Gambling House. At this time they are being held at the Bi-State Justice Center jail and no bond has been set. There were 29 "8-liner" machines located at the business and they have been seized and impounded as evidence along with an undetermined amount of cash. This case is still under investigation and more arrests may develop.

Police began investigating the location after receiving reports of cash payments being given out to winners of "video poker", or 8-liner machines. Arkansas state law stipulates that any prizes awarded to players of "video poker" or any other type of gambling machines may only be toys or items of little or no value. In this case it is beleved that substantial sums of cash were being paid out to winners. In this case, the law pertains to games that are base purely on chance and involve no skill.

Police will continue to monitor all local 8-liner facilities to ensure that they are operating within the guidelines that have been set by the law. From this point on any individual who engages in illegal gambling for monetary profit will be arrested and any money involved will be seized as evidence.

Police encourage anyone with information dealing with this or any other felony crime to call CrimeStoppers at (903)793-STOP.

Thank you and you can visit the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department online at http://www.txkusa.org/arkpolice.