Lexington County deputies have seized three sweepstakes machines deemed illegal under the state’s video poker law.

The department seized three machines from a back room with a paper “employees only” sign at the El Cheapo convenience store at 3862 Highway 321 Tuesday. The machines offer several casino-style games, deputies said, and award players tokens for wins. The players then traded in the tokens for items at the store, deputies allege.

The next day, a Lexington County magistrate deemed them illegal video gambling devices.

The convenience store is not one of several locations in the county supplied to deputies by Lexington County Council as potential sweepstakes gaming sites.

—R. Darren Price