SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – Here off of U.S. Highway 441 in Lady Lake — next door to a senior living facility — Il Villaggio Senior Entertainment Center used nearly 200 slot machines to exploit seniors out of millions, running what officials describe as an illegal gambling operation.
“During the investigation, it was determined that between Jan. 1, 2023, and July of 2025, over $24 million went through various bank accounts associated with this enterprise,” said Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney William Gladson.
According to Gladson, the business lured seniors in with free food and drinks. Officials say these types of illegal internet cafés could have odds of winning as low as 10% — far below the 85% odds required in legal gambling operations.
“If you have a payout opportunity of only 10 or 15%, it’s theft. They’re stealing your money under the guise of flashy lights and funny sounds,” said Carl Herold, Law Enforcement Director for the Florida Gaming Control Commission.
Gladson said CEO Rima Ray, along with managers Terrance Morgan and Barbara Buzzard, are now behind bars. They’re facing several felony charges, including RICO and money laundering.
“Ray would pick up hundreds of thousands of dollars and transport it to St. Johns County, where she lived and where her bank accounts were,” Gladson said. “Some of the money went to utilities and payroll, but other funds went to individuals and corporations.”
State attorney officials also said some of the money went to companies Ray owned in Belize, which were shut down around the same time.
Gladson did not clarify whether more arrests could be made but said this case is not related to the Lake County investigation involving former Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez.
According to a FGCC post in July about the investigation
“FGCC law enforcement agents executed a search warrant on July 15, during which they seized 190 illegal slot machines and approximately $349,000 in cash. Florida law strictly regulates gambling, with slot machines permitted only in licensed gaming facilities: eight pari-mutuel venues located in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and six Seminole Tribe of Florida establishments. It is illegal to operate slot machines or any other unauthorized gambling machines at unlicensed locations.”