Police around Toledo conducted raids this week to combat illegal gambling, but the target was not a free poker game hidden in a warehouse or slots paying under the table to regular customers. Instead, authorities shut down Jackpot Fever locations, saying that awarding merchandise and credits were the same as paying cash.

Jackpot Fever opened at storefronts throughout the area, not attempting to disguise or hide its operations. The slot-style machines allowed patrons to play and try to win prizes, such as pre-paid gas cards.

Prosecutors decided that removing the cash payouts from the process was not enough to distinguish the concept from illegal gambling, and hit the stores, seizing machines and operating cash.

The law was recently revised to include non-cash payouts in the illegitimate category. Bars and restaurants that hosted slots machines from Jackpot Fever saw their machines taken by police, and worry about potential charges.