Coin Slot

Issue: 1981 September 079

Coin Slot Magazine - #079 - 1981 - September [International Arcade Museum]
Louisiana

Dear Editor
It finally happened, Lousiana is now legal.
On Thursday, July 23, 1981, Governor Dave Treen
signed H.B. #1216 to make it Act 783 of the 1981
Legislature.
It was an uphill battle all the way. I spent 21 days in
Baton Rouge lobbying this bill.
There is a lot mor I will have to say in the future, but
at this time I will just say we are happy.
Enclosed is a copy of the bill as it passed.
If anyone has any questions, please feel free to drop
me a line.
Anthony J. Schneller
% Automatic Coin Enterprise, Inc.
112 Spar Street
Metairie, Louisiana 70001
Sincerely,
Anthony J. Schneller
HLC 81-1734
Regular Session, 1981
HOUSE BILL NO. 1216
number 34.
which event the court shall order the destruction of the slot
machine. Otherwise, if the judgment is in favor of the owner,
such antique slot machine shall be returned to its owner.
D. An antique slot machine may be displayed only in
private dwellings or while offered for sale by a licensed retail
dealer other than one licensed to sell alcoholic beveragea If
a slot machine is displayed in any other manner it shall not be
subject to the provisions of Subsections B and C.
E. It is the purpose of this Section to protect and foster
the collection and restoration of antique slot machines not
used for gambling purposes, due to their esthetic value and
importance in Louisiana history.
Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature
by the governor or, if not signed by the governor, upon
expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
by the governor, as provided in Article III, Section 18 of the
Constitution of Louisiana.
Section 3. If any provision or item of this Act or the
application thereof is held invalid, such invalidity shall not
affect other provisions, items, or applications of thisAct which
can be given effect without the invalid provisions, items, or
applications, and to this end the provisions of this Act are
hereby declared severable.
Section 4: All laws or parts of laws in conflict herewith
are hereby repealed.
BY MR. CAIN
ENGROSSED BILL
DIGEST
AN ACT
To amend Title 15 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of
1950 by adding thereto a new Section to be designated as
Section 31.1 thereof; to provide for the ownership and
possession of antique slot machines, their exemption from
confiscation and destruction without a judgment of court, the
seizure thereof, the rights of owners thereof to present
testimony and other evidence in court in connection with the
operation thereof for unlawful gambling, and court orders for
destruction thereof for operation for unlawful gambling pur
poses, and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
Section 1. Section 31.1 of Title 15 of the Louisiana
Revised Statutes of 1950 is hereby enacted to read as
follows:
31.1. Antique slot machines
A For the purposes of this Section, a slot machine, is an
antique if it was manufactured prior to October 1,1950.
B. Notwithstanding any provisions of Section 31 of this
The digest to this bill printed below was proposed by the
House Legislative Council. It constitutes no part of the bill.
Cain
Act
HB No. 1216
Proposed law exempts antique slot machines, (those
constructed prior to October 1,1950) from the laws requiring
their confiscation and destruction and the punishment of
their owners or possessors. Authorizes the ownership and
possession of such machines, except if used for unlawful
gambling purposes, provides for their seizure as evidence of
unlawful gambling, and requires that they not be destroyed
until judgment of a court that the machine was used for
unlawful gambling.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for
gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 15:31.1)
Title, or R.S. 14:90.1, or any other provisions of law to the
contrary, an antique slot machine may be owned and posses
sed in this state and shall not be subject to confiscation or
destruction without a judgment of court as provided in this
Section, but may be seized as evidence when operated for
unlawful gambling purposes.
C. An antique slot machine, antique gambling device, or
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee
on Administration of Criminal Justice to Original Bill.
1. Deleted antique "gambling devices and gaming machines",
leaving only antique slot machines as being capable of
ownership and possession.
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2. Added that to be exempt from seizure and sale without
judgment an antique slot machine may be displayed only
in private dwellings or while offered for sale by a licensed
retail dealer other than one licensed to sell alcohol.
3. Added that Act shall become effective upon signature of
that such slot machine was operated for unlawful gambling in
governor or expiration of time for gubernatorial action.
©
The International
40-THE
COIN Arcade
SLOT Museum
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
September 1981
Coin Slot Magazine - #079 - 1981 - September [International Arcade Museum]
Dear Editor.
Enclosed is a clipping my mother sent me from a
recent issue of the New Orleans Times Picayune. I
think it bears printing in an issue of The Coin Slot.
While we all preach "Legalize Slots!/' it's actions like
that described in the article that make it difficult. What
we have here is a case of "smuggling." The greed of a
few people has made it now that much harder to
legalize slot possession in Louisiana.
Regards,
Bob Rosenberger
Dear Bob:
Thank you for sending us the clipping from the New
Orleans Times Picayune. Fortunately the governor had
signed the bill into law only hours before this incident
occurred and the news media had picked it up.
We were lucky this time and escaped the aftermath
of someone else's greed. But, you are right, we may not
find ourselves in such good favor as time passes.
Sincerely,
Editor
IHIIW
Slot-machine smuggling suspected
By ED ANDERSON
Federal authorities Thursday were investigating a
New Orleans man for allegedly smuggling 33 slot
machines described as "sewing machine parts" on
import documents from England to Louisiana
U.S. Customs Service Agent Group Supervisor Billy
R. Tuggle said agents were "in the field" late Thursday
probing the records of Sam Katz, identified as the
owner and operator of Canal Antiques, the company
that allegedly brought the illegal gaming devices into
the state.
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making false statements on the import documenta
However, Katz was not taken into custody by federal
agents, said Tuggle.
© The International Arcade Museum
September 1981
He also said that agents were reviewing Katz's
records in his offices at 2025 Canal St. Ironically, Canal
Antiques is located across the street from the Custom
house where the one-armed bandits have been stored.
Katz was reported out of town and unavailable for
comment
Tuggle said some of the gaming devises— illegal
under federal and state law — were in working order,
while others were in need of repair.
He said agents confiscated the one-armed bandits
Wednesday afternoon after they were taken to an
assembly hall in Lafayette for a two-day auction.
"When the agent opened those containers, he found
slot machines and no sewing machine parts," said
Tuggle. "There may be more slot machines imported,
and thaf s what we're looking at now."
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
THE COIN SLOT-41

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