Within the span of two weeks, two separate clandestine bingo operators in Utah have been in the news for allegedly running illegal gambling operations. While the owner of one Utah bingo venue was vindicated in a jury hearing, a second bingo vendor pleaded guilty to four gambling-related charges.

As gambling on games of chance is illegal in Utah, a guilty plea got the owner a $1,800 fine for the four misdemeanors he violated while running bingo games in his restaurant. In addition, he was forced to turn over proceeds from the bingo operation. As for why the owner of the other secret bingo parlor “got away scot free,” it was reported that little evidence of a gambling environment was found there. The owner who pleaded guilty was hard-pressed to do otherwise, with over 20 computerized bingo machines spread throughout the restaurant.