A Canton, Ohio resident was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for crimes related to his operation of several illegal gambling businesses.
U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent for the Northern District of Ohio handed down the prison sentence to 49-year-old Steven Saris on Sept. 12.
Judge Nugent also ordered Saris to pay $2.8 million in restitution to the United States for unpaid taxes related to the illegal Ohio casinos. Saris was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison sentence.
Northeast Ohio man sentenced for operating illegal
Saris owned and operated illegal gambling businesses in Ohio and Florida between 2009 and 2022, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cleveland.
Saris operated multiple gaming parlors in Northeast Ohio, including Lucky’s, Winner’s World, Spin City and Café 62, which prosecutors say housed illegal slot machines. Saris was also accused of running multiple illegal gambling businesses in Florida, as well as one in Springfield, Ohio.
In 2018, law enforcement executed search warrants at several illegal gambling parlors in Northeast Ohio. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Saris made false statements to investigators afterwards and continued operating the illegal businesses. Authorities say Saris covered up his involvement with the businesses by having others serve as “nominee owners.”
Saris’ illegal businesses made more than $10 million in profit
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says that Saris filed a tax return in 2015 that did not report the $1.4 million in income he received from the gambling businesses. Between 2016 and 2021, Saris didn’t file tax returns at all, despite earning more than $9 million from the businesses.
Saris used profits from the illegal gambling operations to gamble millions at legal casinos and also to purchase and renovate at least two properties in Canton.
Multiple agencies investigated Saris’ illegal activity, including the:
- IRS Criminal Investigation
- U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Inspector General
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Ohio Casino Control Commission
Prosecutors dropped several charges in plea deal
In May, Saris pleaded guilty to the charges of tax evasion, operating an illegal gambling business and money laundering. He faced up to 10 years in prison for the money laundering charges and up to five years for tax evasion and conducting illegal gambling. Federal prosecutors dropped 33 additional charges in exchange for Saris’ guilty plea, according to the Canton Repository.
Saris also pleaded guilty in 2009 to felony charges of grand theft and money laundering, as well as a misdemeanor charge for operating an illegal gambling parlor. Saris served two years probation and paid a $5,000 fine for those charges in Summit County.
How to spot illegal gambling in Ohio
If you are presented with an opportunity to gamble in Ohio and have doubts over its legality, chances are it’s illegal. That’s particularly true when it comes to table games and the types of slot machines alleged to be used in the recent Canton case.
Slot machines are only legal in Ohio at the state’s four casinos. The casinos, located in Ohio’s four biggest cities, are also where you can legally play table games like blackjack, poker, craps, roulette and baccarat. Gaming at the casinos, including slots, is strictly regulated by the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Ohio’s four retail casinos are:
- Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati
- Hollywood Casino Columbus
- Hollywood Casino Toledo
- JACK Casino Cleveland
Ohio’s seven racinos offer pari-mutuel wagering on horse races and also have video lottery terminal games, which are similar to slots. The VLT machines are licensed and regulated by the Ohio Lottery.
- Belterra Park (Cincinnati)
- Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway (Dayton)
- Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course (Youngstown)
- JACK Thistledown Racino (North Randall)
- MGM Northfield Park (Northfield)
- Miami Valley Gaming (Lebanon)
- Scioto Downs (Columbus)
Outside of the state’s 11 casinos and racinos, Ohio does allow for charitable organizations to conduct limited gambling for fundraising purposes. Qualifying non-profits can facilitate bingo, e-bingo, pull tabs, raffles and other games of chance at festivals. But slots, craps and roulette for cash prizes are not permitted to be offered by the charities. Each of Ohio’s legal gambling locations will also feature responsible gambling signage, letting bettors know they’re playing at a trusted, legal location.
Online sweepstakes casinos are also available, which operate across the US under sweepstakes laws.
