nEWS
PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL
WOULD LEGALIZE VIDEO GAMBLING
A bill currently in the Pennsylvania
House will eliminate the problem of
policing video gambling games by
legalizing them , said the bill's spon-
sor Representative Brian Clark of
Allegheny County. According to
Clark , about 40,000 video card
gambling machines are operated in
Pennsylvania , " too much of a pro-
blem to police .
" We have only two choices," he
told Play Meter. " We either regulate
them or we ignore them."
Clark is convinced it is impossible
to halt illegal gambling on videos in
Pennsylvania despite a September
22 state Supreme Court ruling . The
ruling states that all video poker and
blackjack machines equipped with
knock-off switches or meters that
count and record canceled plays
can be seized as illegal gambling
devices. Clark's assessment is a blow
to authorities nationwide who feel
the best way to put a halt to illegal
gambling on video card games is to
have them declared illegal devices
per se , which means authorities can
confiscate them without witnessing
payoffs.
Clark's bill , reviewed at a public
hearing at the capital in Harrisburg
in November, would legalize the
operation of games equipped with
totalizers , accounting devices which
track a game's revenues and payoffs.
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Totalizers would be read weekly by
state authorities to determine the
state 's take .
"The totalizer also eliminates the
problem of skimming ," Clark
explained . " Every game will be
equipped with a sensor device; a
light would go out if it is tampered
with ."
The bill also limits each operator
to 100 machines, in order to prevent
the gambling machines from being
controlled by a single powerful
source. It provides for licensing of
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manufacturers, distributors, and
operators separately and prohibits
any individual from holding more
than one type of license.
"An operator's license would cost
$50 ,000 ," Clark proposed. "We
would use the money to enforce the
bill." An undetermined amount of
the gross would go to the state to be
distributed to local governments
and school districts. All state reve-
nues from the games would be dedi-
cated to education, Clark said.
Clark believes his bill will be
looked upon with favor because it is
a substitute for taxation .
"People have learned to live with
the games," he said . "If we can regu-
late them, we can raise money with-
out raising taxes."
Clark's bill is not the only legisla-
tive effort being made in Pennsylva-
nia to legalize gambling. A bill cur-
rently being considered would
legalize slot machines for use in the
Pocono Mountain resort areas .
Another bill to sanction video poker
gambling, supported by Pennsylva-
nia operators, died in the House
recently. (Play Meter, December 15,
1983, p . 23.)
Clark is hopeful his bill will get
some attention in May.
" At any rate ," he said , "I don't
anticipate anything happening on
this until next year."
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THE REDEEMER.
NOW AVAILABLE FOR VIDEO GAMES!
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TII-l/1-T
IILIIC I
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Columbus , OH 43209
(Ohio) 1-800-282-5414
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PIA Y METER. March 15, 1984