Coin Slot Magazine - #076 - 1981 - June [International Arcade Museum]
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out of your element you are; how you need advice.
The secretary will usually tell you when to come back
and catch the senator for a few minutes. COME BACK
ON TIME. You will probably have to go back 4 or 5
times before you will get in. EXPECTTHIS AND DON'T
GET UPSET OR SHOW ANNOYANCE AT BEING PUT
OFF. Lines like "Gee, is there any othertimethatwould
be better?" work well. Try for an appointment and
promise not to take more than 7 minutes. If it takes
longer than that you are saying too much. Eventually
you will begin to see some congressmen. Remember
they are just people who got elected and hope to stay
that way. They are not awe inspiring; they are just like
you and me. Remember that and be casual, humorous,
and keep up the "country bumpkin", "out of my ele
ment" approach.
i!r
ROUND 1
You will probably find most have no objection to the
bill after you explain it. Objections will surface how
ever, and they will more than likely take one of two
forms. One, WILL THIS BILL PROMOTE, SUPPORT,
OR ENCOURAGE GAMBLING? And two, ARE THE
"BAD GUYS" GONNA MAKE A FORTUNE IF IT IS
PASSED?
DO NOT AVOID USING THE WORD GAMBLING. If
you don't handle the issue they will keep worrying
about it. Answer the first objection with the following:
"This bill has nothing whatsoever to do with gambling.
Passage would not change the gambling laws of this
state at all. If passed, the police can still arrest even a
collector of antique slots and the BURDEN OF PROOF
THAT THE MACHINE WAS NOT USED FOR GAM
BLING PURPOSES IS ON THE COLLECTOR. Look,
these are the machines we are talking about."
Pull out "Slot Machines on Parade". Have paperclips
on pictures of an old machine like the DEWEY. Flip to
the Derby, a 1911 Mills OPERATOR BELL, a BIRD OF
PARADISE, and a 1947 Watling ROL-A-TOP ("Checker
board"). Then flip to the back of the book to the 1979
Sircoma electronic and say, "This is what they are
using in Las Vegas and Atlantic City nowadays. Ma
chines like this are reliable, do automatic accounting
and are tamper-proof. These other antiques are frail.
We collectors don't even allow people to try our
antiques frequently as the failure rate is high and
broken parts are hard to replace. And after all, the
overwhelming percentage of machines are of nickel
denomination. In the 1920's and 30's a nickel was
money; a jackpot win of $7.50 would buy dinnerfortwo
at a nice restaurant, now it bearly pays for dinner at
McDonald's. Machines in use for gambling are usually
Dollar denominations. With the frail nature of these
.com
m
:
u
m
e
antiques and the inflation f that
has eroded
the value of
mus to use these
d ro to d impossible
-
e
the nickel, it would be
next
e
d
machines profitably
gambling.
nloa for
arca And even if this bill is
.
w
o
w
w
passed, D
it would w
:// still be just as illegal to use these
p
t
machines for
gambling as it is now.
t
h
This bill does not support, encourage or promote
gambling. It simply keeps collectors like myself from
living in fear that the police will arrest us and destroy
our antiques. If it is passed, I can come out of the
© The International Arcade Museum
30-THE COIN SLOT
closet, get insurance for my collection and sleep at
night."
The second objection that you will undoubtedly face
is much more subtle. The congressman may not even
mention it; yet it will cause him to vote against the bill.
The position is this. In the eyes of the legislators many
of the operators could have had the lead part in the
Godfather. Quite frankly, in some cases they are right!
We have all heard about that warehouse full of slot
machines just outside of town just waiting for them to
be legal again. (If you haven't heard such a rumor, rest
assured that at least one congressman has.) If this bill
is passed the market will open up and the value of
these thousands and thousands of machines will go
from $0 to $1500 apiece. The "Bad Guys" will make a
fortune. Thus passage is a bad idea.
While you and I know how ridiculous that is; the
congressmen dbn't. Whip out your copy of THE COIN
SLOT with a copy of the most recent "Legal States
Map" and show the legislator that it is legal for these
bad guys to sell their machines in most of the United
States. Whip out your "Slot Machines on Parade" and
turn to page 177. Read aloud the quote from the
Johnson Act. Then run this line by him: "So, you see it
is legal for them to sell those machines located in our
state so long as they are sold into any one of the legal
states. Ergo, this legislation doesn't make the "Bad
Guys" rich; unfortunately, they have sold AND ARE
LEGALLY SELLING their machines in other states.
And so they make the money with or without this
legislation."
Getting to know the congressman and delivering the
material above should only take about 5 to 7 minutes. If
there is a time problem on the congressman's part,
don't press. If there are still objections, don't argue.
This meeting is only ROUND #1.
Go to every member of the committee. This process
may take 3 or 4 days spread out over 3-4 weeks. Use
the necessary amount of time while appearing to be
unhurried.This is the way the state legislatures work If
the committee, to which the bill is assigned, passes the
bill, the entire house or senate will probably do the
same. Particularly with a bill of relatively low conse
quence such as this one. If the committee does not
pass the bill or reports unfavorably, you are in a heap of
trouble.
it it ft ROUND 2 tiitti
By now the bill will be ready for its hearing. Contact
every Historical Society in the state. Have them send
your champion a letter ADDRESSED TO THE MEM
BERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Also have the
sponsor of the bill prepared to testify. Now the cham
pion gets to miraculously become a skilled orator. Not
bad for a "country bumpkin"! Give every member of the
committee a packet. It should contain copies of the
letters from the Historical Societies, a copy of your
testimony and the Fl RST PAGE should be a copy of the
"Legal States Map". As to what to say, what follows is
my testimony before the Maryland Senate Judicial
Proceedings Committee. And by the way, be at ease,
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
June 1981