An explosive finding at the police raid of a suspected gambling den in East Oakland's Webster neighborhood, as the raid also turned up gambling machines, meth, opiates, guns, ammo — and even a whole bunch of dynamite. Whether it is because of increased enforcement, a breakthrough with tipsters, or just an uptick in illegal gambling, we’re seeing a lot more headlines about busts of illegal Bay Area gambling dens in the news over these past two years. Many of these are in SF’s Tenderloin District (often operating from convenience stores or laundromats), and a number of them would have gladly sold you meth or illicit opioids to enhance your “gaming” experience. Unsurprisingly, many of these illegal gambling dens have also been busted in Oakland.  Today the Bay Area News Group brings us the news of one fresh new suspected gambling den bust in the Webster neighborhood of East Oakland. Acting on a tip, Oakland police raided a home on the 1700 block of Auseon Avenue. True to their suspicions, they did indeed find illegal gambling machines, and also pistols and loaded magazines, plus suspected opioid pills and meth. But this particular illegal casino raid was uniquely notable because there was also a great deal of dynamite being kept around at this alleged gambling den.The raid actually happened back on January 2, and police records are just now becoming public. And this case ties into a whole labyrinth of ongoing Oakland murder investigations, and an apparent syndicate of rival Oakland underground casino operators whose competing operations against one another are turning increasingly violent. This situation started with a tip. On New Year's Day, a woman reportedly called the police to say that armed gunmen had stormed into the Auseon Avenue home while she was there. Umm, she didn’t say why she was there, and it’s unclear whether it was even her home. Regardless, the police followed up. Police had already suspected the place served as a gambling den, and responded to find the gambling machines, drugs, and of course the dynamite.Turns out the home is registered to a (still not publicly unidentified) 39-year-old man who’d already been arrested on gun charges for his tangential involvement with a late-night gas station murder in January 2025. He was charged with felony gun possession in that one, though prosecutors dropped the case feeling they did not have adequate evidence. But bigger picture, the Oakland Police Department thinks these underground casino operations and the “feuds” between them are now responsible for at least 18 shootings in the last two years. So the aggression between the rival casino factions is getting worse, which may explain why there’s now dynamite turning up at illegal gambling den busts. Related: Latest Tenderloin Liquor Store Busted Not Just for Being Illegal Gambling Den, But Also Selling Weed, Mushrooms [SFist]Image: Erik Mclean via Unsplash ...read more read less