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Coin Slot

Issue: 1981 September 079

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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Tuggle said
: the U.S. Attorney's Office
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has been
consulted on possible charges of smuggling and
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
Coin Slot Magazine - #079 - 1981 - September [International Arcade Museum]
Tuggle said the slots were part of a shipment of 300
antiques that Katz had ordered from England. He said
customs and other federal agencies are continuing
charged with falsifying import documents stating the
net worth of the shipment was 2,000 British pounds,
instead of the 10,000 pounds the shipment was worth.
the investigation.
"While we were in Lafayette," said Tuggle, "we got
several phone calls from people asking for five to 20
slot machines."
He said the machines were to be auctioned, but
refused to speculate on how the slots would have been
used by the potential buyers.
Asked if there is a link between the seizure and a
possible gambling operation in the state, the agent
said, "Nothing of that nature has come to ourattention."
Tuggle said the machines entered Louisiana through
the Port of New Orleans, but were destined for Baton
Rouge where agents opened the boxes of "sewing
machines parts" and found the slot machines.
Tuggle said agents allowed the shipment to go to its
destination in Lafayette after the contraband was
discovered to see if any other persons may have been
involved in the transaction.
When the slots arrived at the auction site, he said,
agents swooped down and hauled away the one-
armed bandits.
Tuggle declined to estimate the value of the automa
tic and manual slot machines, all programmed for
British currency. However, he said one machine could
command a selling price of "a few thousand dollars."
Besides the possible smuggling charge that Katz
could face, the agent said the importer could be
We apparently have some ground work here that has
gone somewhat unnoticed. Do any of you, readers,
have anymore information in reference to Kentucky? If
you do, fill in our gap.
Dear Coin Slot,
I think you should know that the Kentucky Attorney
General ruled that an Ashland, Kentucky man may
possess antique slot machines. This ruling was made a
couple of years ago, but has never been tested in court,
as far as I know. I enclose a copy of the newspaper
clipping on this.
Reader in Indiana
In
other opinions,
the attorney general's office
advised that:
Kentucky Housing Corp. must release audit
records to a Lexington lawyer.
SA Campbellsville ambulance service is not required
to transport the mentally ill to hospitals.
\/ An Ashland man may possess antique slot ma
chines.
We're
Here!!!
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© The International Arcade Museum
42 —THE COIN SLOT
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September 1981

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