Oct. 30—Three employees of a Joplin business where Joplin police found gambling machines have been charged.

Ashish Ashish, 24, Pooja Rani, 22, and Gurjeet Singh, 23, all of 913 S. St. Louis Ave., have been charged with first-degree promoting gambling at the Spin Hitters business, 2331 E. Seventh St.

They were arrested at 11 a.m. Oct. 23 at the business, according to court records.

Probable-cause statements filed in Jasper County associate division court at Joplin state that police went with a search warrant to the business, where they found 47 gambling machines. Police also seized $4,393.04 from the machines and the office there.

The charges allege that between Oct. 19 and Oct. 23, the three promoted gambling by setting up and operating gambling machines and that the amount of money found showed that more than $100 a day was collected — the amount set by the state statute for the charge of promoting gambling.

Bonds for them were set by Judge Joseph Lee Hensley at $7,500 surety, or $2,000 cash each.

Jasper County deputies told the court the three had been released on bonds.

A Nov. 6 date was set for the next court appearances of the three.