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NYPD Cites Gamblers in Chinatown Park, Illegal Activity Cleaned Up

Tiffany Burroughs
Updated: 23 June 2023
2 min to read

A few days ago, after press reports exposed illegal gambling occurring in a Chinatown Park, the New York Police Department (NYPD) dispatched officers to the scene.
A New York City officer inspects gambling taking place in a Chinatown park

Hundreds of gamblers were reportedly betting their money daily in Manhattan’s Columbus Park until officers from the New York City Police Department and Parks Department workers took drastic steps to shut down the illicit activity over the weekend. On Monday, officers returned to the site for further inspections and community outreach. Multiple tents previously erected by the gamblers were removed and disposed of in the garbage. From a Tuesday follow-up visit, a New York Post reporter found no traces of betting, with yet no word on the amount of summonses or citations given as a consequence of the gambling activity.

Summonses, Citations

Officers from the New York Police Department issued seven summonses after an illegal gambling session was broken up in a public park on the weekend. Six citations were also issued by the Parks department employees. Gambling with cash is prohibited in city parks, according to a report by the Post. It does not seem that any of the dealers or players was booked on the allegation of promoting gambling, which could have resulted in a four-year jail sentence and $5,000 in fines. Witnesses said that the age-group of participants included people from the middle-aged and elderly sections, and most of them appeared to be conversing in Chinese dialects. According to an earlier report by the Post, illegal gaming activities had been detected in Columbus Park. Initially, the law enforcing officers and park employees paid no attention to the gambling activities, such as Gai-Gow poker and Chinese blackjack, taking place in the park located in close proximity to federal and state courthouses.

There are also numerous law enforcement offices in the nearby area.
Columbus Park sign

The sign pictured above is located in New York City’s Chinatown and is for Columbus Park. Last week, Meghan Lalor, director of media relations at the city’s Department of Parks & Recreation, told the Post that they were aware of the gambling occurring within the park and are working with the NYPD to enforce the no-gambling rule. Reportedly, the pot in some of these games had been worth thousands of dollars, and during one week, there were 10 tents set up in Columbus Park where people were taking part in what the Post described as “Las Vegas-style action and “casino-level gambling” comparable to that of Atlantic City. Multiple individuals had witnessed the illegal gambling in the park and complained to the NYPD. Neighbors were also concerned about prior gambling activities inside the park.

The legal gambling scene in New York City could soon be located in the bustling area of Times Square, which is only 3.5 miles away from Chinatown and an easily accessible subway ride away.

A gambler expressed their disappointment to the Post, noting that a trip to gambling hubs like Atlantic City is very far away from Chinatown – a distance of approximately 127 miles.

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Updated: 23 June 2023
2 min to read

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