Coin Slot Magazine - #071 - 1981 - January [International Arcade Museum]
Letters to the Editor continued
whether open or enclosed, used or intended to be used for
professional gambling. Any place where a gambling
device is found shall be presumed to be intended to be
used for professional gambling, except a place wherein a
While on the subject of the state collectibility laws (see
Lou Fischl's fine article elsewhere in this issue) we
received the folowing from a Connecticut collector ad
dressed to Dick Bueschel. We passed it to Dick, and here's
his answer:
bazaar or raffle for which a permit has been issued under
sections 7-170 to 7-186, inclusive, or bingo for which a
permit has been issued under sections 7-186a to 7-186m,
inclusive, is to be conducted;" (emphasis added)
From reading this it seems clear that a slot machine found in a
place suspected to be a gambling premise can be seized and that
Dear Dick,
Your Illustrated Price Guide to the 100 Most Collectible Slot
Machines Volume 2 indicates on page 5 that possession of slot
machines in Connecticut "does not seem to be in offense", citing
Statutes 5301/5303. In checking with the State they have no
apparent record of those Statutes. Doing a bit of research, I
come up with the following section of the Criminal Code:
"Section 53-278c. Seizure of gambling devices. Penalties
for possession, sale, etc., of gambling devices or records, (a)
All gambling devices are common nuisances and, if found
in a place known or suspected to be a gambling
premise, are subject to seizure, immediately upon detec
tion, by any peace officer, who shall hold the same subject
to confiscation and destruction by order of a court having
jurisdiction." (Emphasis added)
any place where a slot machine is found is presumed to be
intended to be used for professional gambling, sort of a "Catch-
22".
If your research in Connecticut or correspondence with others
in Connecticut suggests any different interpretation, J would
appreciate receiving any legal references/citations you can
provide since I am planning on approaching members of the
State Legislature to have legalizing legislation enacted.
Sincerely yours
M.A. Roenigk
P.S. I was recently offered an upright, "THE OWL", which
the woman swears has an installation sticker dated 1892.1 know
your books indicate a production date starting in 1896 or 97.
Any possible explanation for this?
"Section 53-278a. (7) "Gambling premise" means any
building, room, enclosure, vehicle, vessel or other place,
Dear Martin,
You live in a tough state, my friend, and that "Catch-22" is
real. I faced that when 100 Most Collectible Slot Machines
Volume 2 was being researched.
BERNIE HAS A COMPLETE LIST
In working out that laws listings I contacted every single state
AVAILABLE AND IT'S FREE.
government office, with most of them facing the "problem"for
JUST SEND HIM A SASE.
thefirst time. It had, in most states, never come up before. Most
SLOT MACHINE SPRINGS
(Exact Duplicate Wire and Tension
FOR MILLS SLOT MACHINES
UPPER FINGER SPRINGS
LOWER FINGER SPRINGS
PAYOUT SLIDE SPRINGS
checked out with three attorneys, and the list was developedfor
$1.20/6. $14.00/100'
$1.20/6. $16.00/100
$3.00/5. $5.50/10
CLOCK SPRINGS
$2.00 Ea., $5.50/3
ESCALATOR SPRINGS
HANDLE SPRINGS
BRAKE WIRE
$200 Ea., $5.50/3
$2.50 Ea., $6.00/3
$2.00 Ea., $5.50/3
HEAVY SPRING (On Back of Shaft for Brake)
$4.00 Ea.
REPRO CASH BOX
REPRO BACK DOOR
PUSH BAR SPRING AG
STD-850 REEL STOP SPRING
D-620 EXTENSION SPRING
$10.00 Ea.
$20.00
$250 Ea., $7.00/3
$2.00 Ea., $5.50/3
50* Ea., $1.25/3
FOR WATLING SLOT MACHINES
UPPER FINGER SPRINGS
LOWER FINGER SPRINGS.
PAYOUT SLIDE SPRINGS
$1.70/6. $20.00/100
$1.70/6. $20.00/100
$3.50/6. $6.00/12
CLOCK SPRINGS
HANDLE SPRINGS
BRAKE WIRE
BUTTERFLY SPRING (For Coin Reject)
states tried to give me a ruling, and happily most tried to come
up with a favorable interpretation of their laws. This was then
$200 Ea., $5.50/3
$3.50 Ea., $5.50/2
$2.00 Ea., $5.50/3
$4.50 Ea.
RIGHT ANGLE ROD (For Reject w/Cotter Pin)
$5.00 Ea.
STOP LEVER SPRINGS
REPRO CASH BOX
50% Ea., $1.25/3
$1100 Ea.
the book with the most realistic appraisal as a yardstick.
For Connecticut, that "realistic appraisal" stated:
"Existing laws apply to gambling but not clearly defined.
(An antique slot machine is) Any date provided not usedfor
gambling but not clearly defined." (emphasis added).
Based on that the conclusion was that:
"Possession alone does not seem to be an ofense, but laws
must be clarified, (emphasis added).
The appraisal that the law is "not clearly defined" and that
collecting "does not seem" to be an offense still seems to be the
case, but—per Connecticut law — that depends on the arresting
officer, the court and the judge. The same "Catch-22" applies to
a deck of cards, a pair of dice, or a heads-or-tails coin. It seems
that when the law makers set up their anti-gambling laws they
covered all the bases. That certainly needs clarification and it's a
FOR JENNINGS SLOT MACHINES
point that should be made to the state legislatures.
LOWER FINGER SPRINGS
PAYOUT SLIDE SPRINGS
CLOCK SPRING (Short)
"Section 53-278c and 53-278a" are sub-sections of 5301/5303.
UPPER FINGER SPRINGS
CLOCK SPRING (Long)
ESCALATOR SPRINGS
$1.30/6. $16.00/100
$1.20/6. $16.00/100
$3.50/5. $6.50/10
$2.00 Ea. $5.00/3
$3.00 Ea. $8.00/3
om
$2.50 Ea., .c
$6.50/3
m
$2.00
Ea.,
$5.50/3
eu
Use Upper Finger Springs
HANDLE SPRINGS
BRAKE WIRE
HEAVY SPRING (On Back of Shaft for Brake)
V9-35 and V9-27A OPERATING SPRING
REPRO CASH BOX
:
rom -mus
f
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e
oad .arcade
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Dow //w MINIMUM
ww ORDER: $5.00
:
p
t
ht
$4.00 Ea.
$4.50 Ea., $8.00/2
$16.00 Ea.
Write For Our Complete Spring Catalog
Including Jackpot Springs For All Machines
WE WILL MAKE ANY SPRING YOU NEED
Pace, Mills, Jennings, Watling, Caille, Fey, etc.
BERNIE BERTEN
Incidentally, you were working in Statutes 5301 /5303. Your
Connecticut didn't help that much when they renumbered afew
years ago, but they are one and the same.
As for that "1892" OWL; no way! Mills Novelty wasn't in
business,
Mortimer B. Mills, the OWL inventor, was still
making railroad crossings and the 2-FOR-ls were just being
made, and they're afar cryfrom the advanced technology ofthe
1897 OWL. Could it be a tax stamp with a date of the tax law?
Best regards,
Dick
9420 South Trumbull Ave., Evergreen Park, Illinois 60642
Telephone (312) 499-0688
— International
THE COIN Arcade
SLOT Museum
© 8 The
JANUARY, 1981
http://www.arcade-museum.com/