Owner of popular Henry County bar arrested in gambling bust

The owner of a popular Henry County bar was arrested Wednesday during a gambling bust.

GBI agents and McDonough police executed a search warrant late Wednesday night at Motorheads, a McDonough bar and grill on Macon Street known for its Monday night poker and pool tournaments.

Traci McDonald, 50, who has owned the bar for more than a decade, was arrested on commercial gambling charges. Additional arrests are pending, according to GBI Special Agent in Charge Cindy Ledford.

Traci McDonald

The bust was the culmination of a lengthy investigation into alleged gambling practices at Motorheads. The bar was operating coin machines, and customers were receiving cash payouts for winning credits, the GBI said.

In Georgia, coin-operated amusement machines, which include slot machines, must be licensed by the Georgia Lottery. Credits won may only be redeemed for lottery tickets or other merchandise, not for cash.

Motorheads was also operating “live, casino-style poker games,” and undercover GBI agents were able to play, place bets and win cash, the agency said. During the bust, evidence related to commercial gambling and monetary assets gained from alleged gambling activity were seized.

GBI agents executed a search warrant Wednesday night at Motorheads, a McDonough bar and grill known for its Monday night poker and pool tournaments.

Gambling in bars is not uncommon, Ledford told Channel 2 Action News from the scene.

“It is a statewide problem, and there is a lot of money involved in gambling in Georgia,” she said.

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