Twenty-one illegal video gambling machines discovered

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Agents hit the jackpot when they came across three warehouses full of machines and parts, Stewart said, including one in Spartanburg. The seizure was made after agents found 21 video gambling machines — 12 of which were taken from a Greenville convenience store — on Wednesday.

Stewart said he did not know the address of the Greenville store from where the machines were seized.

"We went to over 700 business locations and only found 21 machines," he said. "However, we developed information that all of these machines had not left the state."

Stewart said they executed three search warrants at three locations, including a warehouse at 1960 Fernwood-Glendale Road in Spartanburg, where they seized 94 machines.

Eighty-six of the machines were Chess Challenge I and eight were Gone Fishing, he said.

A search warrant at 1808 Meeting St. in Charleston led to the seizure of 17 fully operational machines, nine Chess Challenge II and eight Gone Fishing machines, he said.

Agents seized 164 Chess Challenge II cabinets that the machines rest inside. "It's illegal to have any part of an illegal machine," he said.

They also seized 154 Chess Challenge I computer boards, he said. "The computer board is the brains of the machine," he said.

Agents executed a third search warrant at 3061 Mt. Zion Road in Little River, which is in Horry County, he said. They seized 88 machines there, including 63 Chess Challenge I, nine Gold Touch, nine Gone Fishing, four Tarzan, one Wild Cherry, one Skill Challenge and one Jungle King.

Stewart said they have an idea who the machines belong to but declined to reveal that information.

"I would say people in the video gaming business or other type business owners," he said.

No charges have been filed.

"We will meet with the appropriate prosecutors to determine if charges are to be made," he said.

During the seizures, each of the machines was examined by magistrates and determined to be in violation of state law, he said.

He said they're looking into whether any of the games have been imported into South Carolina since the ban.

"We have reason to believe there are more machines being stored in the state and the operation continues," he said.