A North Laurel bar owner who admitted operating an illegal gambling operation was fined $1,000 and had his liquor license suspended for two days for a raft of Howard County liquor violations unearthed during a March 2009 police raid.
John Divver, licensee for Sam's at 9994 Washington Blvd., admitted to police that he allowed illegal gambling on video slot machines in his place, according to the written Howard County Alcoholic Beverage Hearing Board decision, saying that he split the revenue with the machine owners and used his share to support the bar business. In addition to the machines, police found a professional poker table with two sets of chips in an upstairs room during the raid. Two undercover detectives had received cash payouts from playing the machines during a visit to the bar March 5.
In June 2009, Divver was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation and a $250 fine on one count of gambling. The machines were confiscated.
Divver told police he had operated the gambling machines since buying the bar in February 2008, and told the hearing board during the May 25 hearing that the gambling had been a fixture at Sam's for a dozen years. He bought the place from a dying friend but had no experience in the business, he said.
An inspection of Sam's by county liquor inspectors on March 25, 2009, revealed no certified alcohol manager on the premises and alcohol bought at retail rather than wholesale outlets, both violations of county liquor laws. Allowing gambling is also a violation. Divver told police he was ignorant of the laws. Since then, he told the board he has brought in a partner, Gabra Afram, with experience running restaurants.
The board fined Divver the $1,000 and suspended his liquor license from 6 a.m. July 23 to 6 a.m. July 25.
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