Poker Writer
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrested a man for running an illegal gambling operation with machines in his home. Walter Hicks of Lexington, just outside of the capital of Columbia, was charged with unlawful possession and operation of unlawful games.
The warrant for his arrest states, “The Possession of Illegal Gambling Machines is against the law, peace, and dignity of the State of South Carolina. This is in violation of the S.C. Code of Laws.”
Hicks’ arrest came after a March 2 search warrant, which revealed 18 gambling machines at the home of the 51-year-old. The machines were “Pot O’Gold” that had blackjack, keno, and poker. All of those games are illegal games of chance under South Carolina law.
There were reportedly people playing the machines when authorities searched the home. Bail was set at $3,087.
Hicks has a history the law, with a prior arrest in Lexington County. The day before he was arrested for gambling charges, he was charged with assault and battery of an aggravated nature.
He had two instances of third-degree domestic violence charges from 2017 and 2020.
Lexington Becoming Video Gaming Hotspot
This is not the first time Lexington has been the center of attention for an SLED gambling investigation. The small 25,000-person town has had multiple recent incidents involving video gaming.
In October 2025, authorities busted the kingpin of Lexington video poker, Fred McCary.
Accomplice James Helms was also arrested for his role in the illegal video gaming operation. That bust also involved Pot O’Gold machines. Authorities seized 25 machines at a strip mall business center earlier this year.
Locals Call the Arrest Hypocritical
The post about the incident on the Facebook page for the Columbia news station WLTX prompted widespread reaction from locals. Most of the commenters did not support the arrests.
Some said that police should focus on more important things like guns or drugs on the street.
But the more contentious point was hypocrisy in South Carolina’s gambling laws. One person, “Randy Randy,” said:
So let me get this straight it’s illegal for this man to have some gambling machines for people to add their own free will come by and spend money in his establishment whether legal or illegal, but it’s perfectly legal for the state to have a statewide gambling operation also known as the lottery? Make it make sense.
Larry Cardwell, a former state Department of Corrections worker of 17 years, echoed those thoughts.
“Video gambling is only illegal to protect the S.C. education lottery,” he wrote. “Very selfish act by our politicians. Gambling is gambling.”
The South Carolina Education Lottery launched in 2002 after legislative approval in 2001. It remains the only form of gambling allowed in the state, which has some of the strictest anti-gambling laws in the nation. The lottery has generated more than $8 billion for SC’s education since its inception, including more than $500 million in 2025. It has also received its share of criticism for disproportionately taking income from working-class families and benefitting the wealthy.
