Misdemeanor gambling charges have been filed against the owner of a South Main Street business where
electronic machines were seized Friday by Bowling Green police.
According to the Bowling Green Municipal Clerk of Courts’ Office, Matt Spieldenner, 31, Oak Harbor, owner
of The Rabbits Foot Sweepstakes Cafe, 111 S. Main St., was charged Monday with three counts of operating
a gambling house, a first-degree misdemeanor. Bowling Green Police Det. Sgt. Jason Stanley said this
morning that it was his understanding that a warrant is to be issued for Spieldenner’s arrest.
Each charge carries six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
The criminal complaint against Spieldenner states in part that "The Rabbits Foot provides patrons
access to schemes of chance, i.e. video slot machines."
Bowling Green Prosecutor Matt Reger said this morning that officers decided to file charges based upon
the fact that they were able to gamble on electronic machines at The Rabbits Foot on three separate
occasions.
Information from the court indicated that undercover officers went to the business to investigate on Feb.
10, Feb. 17 and Feb. 24. According to the probable cause affidavit by Stanley, officers each time were
provided with "phone cards" after giving the cashier money, which was loaded on the cards.
"We were then able to use the ‘phone cards’ to make wagers on the video slot machines at The
Rabbit’s Foot.
At any time we could transfer our winnings back onto the ‘phone card’ from the slot machine. After doing
so we would return to the customer service desk and ‘cash out’ our card, meaning collect whatever the
current cash value was on the card."
Bowling Green Police executed a search warrant at the business Friday stemming from an ongoing
investigation of possible violations of Ohio gambling laws, and a number of machines were seized at that
time.