Texas Mayor Arrested After Gambling Machines Found in Laundromat

• Hitchcock mayor arrested in eight-liner gambling probe
  
• Undercover deputies redeemed machine credits for cash
  
• Mayor also serves as Hitchcock ISD assistant superintendent

The mayor of the small city of Hitchcock in Galveston County, Texas, was arrested and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity Wednesday. That’s after police said they found illegal gambling machines at a laundromat business he owned.

Mayor Christopher Armacost’s “Comfort Zone Washeteria” was one of 20 premises raided by deputies with the Galveston County Sheriff’s Department earlier on Wednesday. According to ABC News13 Houston, deputies were spotted at another branch of Comfort Zone in the city, also owned by the mayor.

Deputies posing as customers visited the first branch the day before the raids and inserted $20 into two “eight-liner” machines, court documents show.

What’s an 8-Liner in Texas?

An 8-liner is a slot-style video gambling machine commonly found in Texas game rooms that allows players to wager on eight paylines and win credits redeemable for prizes or a cash equivalent. Although often marketed as “amusement devices,” courts have increasingly treated them as illegal gambling machines.

In 2022, the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth ruled that eight-liners satisfy the elements of an illegal “lottery” under the Texas Constitution — chance, consideration, and prize — regardless of whether payouts are made in cash, credits, or merchandise.

The Sheriff’s Office said it has text messages of Armacost discussing the operation of the machines with an employee.

Mayor Also School Administrator

As well as serving as Hitchcock mayor, Armacost is an assistant superintendent at Hitchcock Independent Schools District (Hitchcock ISD). The district said it in a statement it was aware of Armacost’s arrest and was “reviewing all applicable information,” but declined to comment further on a “personnel-related matter.”

The City of Hitchcock said it was fully cooperating with the investigation and was “committed to complete transparency … providing investigators with all requested access to permitting records, inspection reports, and personnel files to ensure a thorough and swift resolution.”

“The City takes these allegations very seriously,” said Marie Gelles, City Manager. “We are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and public trust… Regarding the arrest of Mayor Chris Armacost, the City is currently reviewing all legal and administrative protocols.”

Gelles declined to comment further on specific details on what was “an active criminal matter.”