Isaias Soto
•6/15/2026
Arcade workers in Florida are launching a petition to legalize small arcade rooms after state authorities shut down several locations, including The Silver Palm in Collier County, seizing 80 machines and over $63,000. Eric Plessinger, a former employee at The Silver Palm, shared his frustration over the shutdown and the efforts made to open the arcade. "They're telling a lot of people that these are just pop-up places, but how is that just a pop-up place. And we pay our taxes just like everybody else pays theirs. And we went through the process of getting licensed. In fact, we took six months jumping through hoops for Collier County to get this place open," Plessinger said. The Silver Palm, along with other arcade rooms on the Gulf Coast, is now vacant following the operation. "Well, everybody's laid off, everybody, you know, everything's up in the air. We don't know what's going to happen," Plessinger said. The once-vibrant arcade rooms are now dark and empty, with only chairs lining the spaces where machines once stood. Gwen Rios, part of the At Stake Coalition, is teaming up with the Silver Palm and other arcades to push for statewide change. "We open, they close this down, we open, they close this down. It's one of those things that's never going to stop, you know? And so, I had said to him, I said, you know, we need to get this legalized. We need to get it regulated," Rios said. Rios is starting with a petition and hopes to gain support from public officials to change the narrative surrounding arcade room gambling. "No one in these arcades that I'm aware of is a drug lord or a human trafficker or involved in the black market. And those things really, really hurt my heart because those things are not true," Rios said, visibly emotional. Patrons like Joanne Blaauboeur, who visited The Silver Palm daily, are feeling the impact of the closures. "We stay home and watch TV. We're bored to death," Blaauboeur said. She emphasized that the arcade was more than just a place to gamble—it was a community. "It's just a wonderful experience for the seniors. It's a place to go. It's a place to have fun, and in many instances, it's become, you know, the people that you meet, like, become part of your life," Blaauboeur said. The coalition of arcade workers plans to hold an event on Saturday at The Silver Palm, encouraging supporters to sign their petition. The state is working to toughen laws against illegal gambling next year.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.
