ILLEGAL BINGO OPERATION

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says a Gulf Breeze couple has been ordered to forfeit nearly 6 million dollars they made running illegal bingo games. 68-year-old Larry Masino, and his 66-year-old ex-wife Dixie, were convicted in February of operating an illegal gambling business and money laundering. Between 2006 and 2015, the Masinos brought in more than $20 million from the illegal bingo games they conducted at their Fort Walton Beach business, Racetrack Bingo. Under Florida statutes, bingo game operators are required to return all proceeds from bingo games to players in the form of prizes. Instead, the Masinos personally retained almost six million dollars of the illegal profits. U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers ordered the Masinos to give back that money, along with three homes they purchased. A sentencing hearing is set for March 25th.