Police – NBC 6 South Florida

A man and woman were arrested for allegedly running illegal lotteries out of a restaurant and a coin laundry in North Miami Beach, police said.

Juan Carlos Lora, 36, and Maria Victoria Martinez, 38, were arrested Wednesday on charges including promoting or conducting a lottery, bookmaking, and manufacturing, selling or possessing a gambling device, records showed.

Miami-Dade Corrections

Miami-Dade Corrections

According to an arrest report, Martinez’s arrest came after North Miami Beach Police received an anonymous complaint that illegal gambling known as “La Bolita” was taking place in a coin laundry on Northeast 167th Street.

“La Bolita” is an illegal underground lottery system that allows people to place bets on legitimate state lotteries, police said.

On Wednesday, police executed a search warrant at the laundry and found Martinez had full control of the gambling booth where illegal bets were taking place, the report said.

Also found at the laundry were a white board that was keeping track of lottery drawing results, bundles of cash, a computer used to input bets, and a receipt printer for gambling receipts, the report said.

The arrest of Lora came after investigators received information an illegal lottery was taking place at a restaurant on Northeast 19th Avenue, an arrest report said.

An undercover detective was given $10 and placed a wager with Lora in the restaurant and found that in addition to the Bolita bets, Lora was taking sports bets, the report said.

Investigators executed a search warrant and in the restaurant they found TV screens displaying lottery results, three slot machines, bundles of cash, a computer used to input bets, and a receipt printer.

Martinez, of Miami Gardens, and Lora, of Fort Lauderdale, were booked into jail. Attorney information wasn’t available.