20, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court confirmed in a ruling that video game machines manufactured and distributed by the POM under the name “Pennsylvania Skill” are considered slot machines under Pennsylvania law. However, Judge Patricia McCullough did not state that POM was in violation of the Gaming Act.
State Laws for legal Slot Machine Ownership
GAMBLING DEVICE. You must understand that using a slot machine for profit or gambling purposes is illegal and could subject you to severe penalties. Before purchasing a slot machine you must understand that every state does not allow ownership of these machines. However, we suggest that you check with your local authorities. We assume no responsibility for errors.
Pachislo machines are also know as Skill Stop, or Japanese Slot Machines. You may see that some people will advertise these as being authentic slot machines and might even state ‘Like used in Vegas’. This is not the case though it is possible to set these machines up to accept US coins, they are designed to accept tokens. The listing indicates which states these Pachislo machines are legal to operate.
New Information: We believe there is a concern over the legalities of these Pachislo machines in the States of Colorado, California, Washington, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota and Oregon
ALABAMA Any Machine PROHIBITED
ALASKA Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
ARIZONA Any Machine LEGAL–Pachislo OK
ARKANSAS Any Machine LEGAL, Registration Required.–Pachislo OK
CALIFORNIA 25 Years or Older or Slot Business Reg. W/DOJ
COLORADO Introduced pre-1984 or Slot Business Reg. W/DOJ
CONNECTICUT Any Machine PROHIBITED
DELAWARE 25 Years or Older–Pachislo OK
FLORIDA 20 Yrs. or Older or Slot Bus. Reg. W/DOJ –Pachislo OK
GEORGIA Pre – 1950
HAWAII Any Machine PROHIBITED — Pachislo OK
IDAHO Pre – 1950 — Pachislo OK
ILLINOIS 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
INDIANA 40 Years or older — Pachislo OK (Law changed in 2012 to allow possession IC 35-45-5-3.5 Version a)
IOWA 25 Years or Older
KANSAS Pre – 1950– Pachislo OK
KENTUCKY Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
LOUISIANA 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
MAINE Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
MARYLAND 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
MASSACHUSETTS 30 Years or Older. Poker machines & Video gaming devices of any age are legal for personal use.– Pachislo OK
MICHIGAN 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
MINNESOTA Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
MISSISSIPPI 25 Years or Older
MISSOURI 30 Years or Older
MONTANA 25 Years or Older. Machines are not allowed to be on public premises for sale or display.
NEBRASKA Any Machine PROHIBITED
NEW HAMPSHIRE 25 Years or Older
NEW JERSEY 30 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
NEW MEXICO: We received a letter from the Gaming Control Board of New Mexico stating the following; The only gambling device that my be possessed without a license from the board is a bona fide antique device. An antique gambling device is a gambling device that is at least 25 years old, is substantially in original condition, and is not used for gambling or located in a gambling place. It is illegal to possess gambling devices otherwise, in New Mexico unless you are a distributor, manufacturer or operator licensed by the board. “This letter was dated August 2, 2000”.
NEW YORK 30 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
NEVADA Any Machine LEGAL. — Pachislo OK
NORTH CAROLINA 25 Years or Older
NORTH DAKOTA 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
OHIO Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
OKLAHOMA 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
OREGON 25 Years or Older — Pachislo OK only if the Pachislo machine is over 25 years old
PENNSYLVANIA Pre – 1941– Pachislo OK
RHODE ISLAND Any Machine LEGAL
SOUTH CAROLINA Any Machine PROHIBITED
SOUTH DAKOTA Pre – 1941
TENNESSEEAny Machine PROHIBITED– Pachislo OK
TEXAS Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
UTAH Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
VERMONT Pre – 1954
VIRGINIA Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
WASHINGTON 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
WASHINGTON D.C. Pre – 1952
WEST VIRGINIA Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
WISCONSIN 25 Years or Older
WYOMING 25 Years or Older
Campaigners are calling on Pennsylvania’s authorities to confiscate thousands of gambling machines at establishments across the state after a court ruled that they are defined as slot machines.
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court confirmed in a ruling on Wednesday that video game machines manufactured and distributed POM of Pennsylvania, which trades under the names Pace-O-Matic and Savvy Dog Systems, and markets the games using the term ‘Pennsylvania Skill’ are considered “slot machines” under Pennsylvania law.
POM, which which trades under the names Pace-O-Matic and Savvy Dog Systems, is though to have as many as 5,000 of the machines in operation, in convenience stores, bars, restaurants and other establishments.
The ruling was made as part of an ongoing action filed last year by POM against state authorities. The manufacturer requested that the Department of Revenue and the City of Philadelphia should be instructed to cease seizing or threatening to seize POM equipment and arresting or prosecuting persons in connection with operation of POM games.
In a counterclaim, the Department of Revenue requested that POM be ordered to remove its machines from all Pennsylvania establishments and cease further sale and distribution of its machines within Pennsylvania unless and until POM obtains the proper licenses from the Gaming Control Board.
POM argued that their machines were a “game of skill” and therefore not a slot machine under Pennsylvania law, and that they were not under the remit of the Gaming Law.
Pa Slot Machines In Bars
Judge Patricia McCullough found that elements of skill did not mean it could not be considered a slot machine under the terms of the Gaming Act. The court also concluded that POM’s games therefore are subject to the state’s Crimes Code, and not the Gaming Act, as they do not fall under the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s jurisdiction.
Campaigners, including Parx Casino, said the court’s ruling means that these machines are now subject to forfeiture as under the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, Title 18 Section 5513, the manufacture, set up, sale, lease, or ownership of a slot machine for gambling purposes is illegal.
“With this decision, we urge the Pennsylvania State Police, the Office of Attorney General, police departments and District Attorneys across the state to enforce Pennsylvania law to halt the proliferation of thousands of illegal Pennsylvania Skill slot machines now,” said Parx Casino’s vice president of legal and chief counsel Thomas C. Bonner.
“We know that illegal slot machines and full-blown illegal casinos are popping up all over Pennsylvania. We know that minors are gambling, and we know that the state lottery is losing tens of millions of dollars that should be going to our seniors because of these illegal machines. It’s time to confiscate these machines and put these illegal casinos out of business.”
In ruling the POM machines were not under the jurisdiction of the Gaming Act, the court denied the Department of Revenue’s counterclaim and application for summary relief.
Judge McCullough said: “Because the plain language of the Gaming Act indicates that the General Assembly did not intend for the Gaming Act to regulate unlicensed slot machines which fall outside the ambit of the licensed facilities clearly delineated by the Gaming Act, and/or supplant the Crimes Code’s regulation of the same, we conclude that the POM game is not subject to the Gaming Act.
“We therefore deny the Department’s application for summary relief in the nature of a motion for a judgment on the pleadings.”
The Pennsylvania Lottery has been a vocal critic of the machines, estimating that their existence has cannibalised scratchcard sales by as much as $185.2m. A bill has also been filed, by Senator Tommy Tomlinson, to have the machines declared a form of illegal gambling. This bill, introduced in July, has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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