Six people have been arrested in connection with illegal commercial gambling at four locations in Calhoun according to a recent release from the Calhoun City Police Department.

Abdul Rauf Abdullah, age 53, was arrested at the BP located at 312 N. Wall St.; Manuel Jesus Santos age 48, was arrested at North Side Amusement located at 235 W. Line St.; Monica Leanne Womack, age 22 and David Holder, age 46 were arrested at Parkland Amusement located at 203 Richardson Rd.; and Kumar Thapa, age 26 and Bahadur Thapa, age 40 were arrested at Marathon Station located at Hwy 53 Spur.

The warrants were served and arrests were made after an investigation by the CPD, involving undercover officers actually receiving cash in hand after playing the electronic gambling machines.

Under Georgia law it is illegal to receive cash prizes for winning on electronic gambling machines. The only prize that is legal to receive is a novelty that is worth $5 or less.

According to Calhoun City Lieutenant Detective Tony Pyle, the investigation is still continuing and will include a paper trial to determine the amount of money that was potentially exchanged for winnings.

According to Pyle, individuals playing the machines and receiving cash prizes are not the individuals authorities look to charge. The responsibility falls to the owner of the establishment housing the rented electronic gambling machines if cash prizes are exchanged.

Though at this time in the investigation the dollar amount of money that has been received as profit, as players pay cash to play the machine, that is to be determined during the investigation process.

Renting and housing video gambling machines are not illegal in the state of Georgia, said Pyle, but giving a cash prize for winning on the machines is. There should be no exchanged of money if an individual wins.