Play Meter

Issue: 1986 April 15 - Vol 12 Num 6

UP FRONT
FRONT
UP
Parallel boards
boards a a serious
serious problem
problem
Parallel
I've been
been thinking
th ink ing a a lot
lot about
about parallel
parallel imports
imports since
since they
they were
were the
the topic
topic of
of many
many
I've
discussions
at
the
ACME
show.
At
the
industry
firing
line,
the
subject
was
bantered
discussions at the ACME show. At the industry firing line, the subject was bantered
back and
and forth
forth among
among operators,
operators, distributors,
distributors, and
and manufacturers.
manufacturers. Even
Even the
the trade
trade
back
publications
were
criticized
for
accepting
ads
from
companies
selling
parallels.
One
publications were criticized for accepting ads from companies selling parallels. One
operator
said
he
had
not
been
aware
of
the
problem
before
the
show,
and
he
was
operator said he had not been aware of the problem before the show, and he was
probably
only
one
of
many
who
still
are
not
even
aware
or
particularly
concerned
probably only one of many who still are not even aware or particularly concerned
about parallel
parallel boards.
boards.
about
An
FBI
agent
discussed the
the problem
problem at
at a a seminar,
sem inar, and
and many
many attendees
attendees left
left with
with
An FBI agent discussed
changed
feel
ings
about
parallel
boards.
Though
everyone
with
a
stake
in
the
coin-
changed feelings about parallel boards. Though everyone with a stake in the coin-
operated entertainment
entertainment industry
industry should
should have
have been
been at
at the
the seminar,
seminar, fewer
fewer than
than 100
100
operated
showed
up.
I
don't
claim
the
turnout
was
small
because
no
one
was
interested
;
I
think
it
showed up. I don't claim the turnout was small because no one was interested; I think it
was
because
the
parallel-import
problem
is
fairly
new
to
this
industry,
though
it
has
was because the parallel-import problem is fairly new to this industry, though it has
touched others.
others.
touched
An
operator questioned
questioned the
the manufacturers
manufacturers for
for seeming
seeming to
to place
place the
the blame
blame on
on
An operator
operators
for
the
problem
.
Sure
there
are
some
disreputables
calling
themselves
operators for the problem. Sure there are some disreputables calling themselves
operators and
and who
who would
would be
be at
at the
the head
head of
of the
the line
line to
to do
do anything
anything unethical
unethical if if it it saved
saved
operators
them
a
buck,
but
I
truly
believe
most
operators
are
trying
to
make
a
decent
living
them a buck, but I truly believe most operators are trying to make a decent living, , a a
decent honest
honest living.
living .
decent
even more
more when
when operators
operators asked
asked me
me how
how to
to tell
tell if if someone
someone were
were
believed it it even
I I believed
selling parallel
parallel boards.
boards. Most
Most operators
operators want
want to
to know;
know; they
they don't
don 't want
want to
to be
be caught
caught
selling
doing something
someth ing unethical
unethical or
or illegal.
illegal.
doing
But that
that is
is the
the complexity
complexity of
of the
the parallel
parallel board
board issue;
issue; the
the boards
boards are
are not
not
But
illegitimate copies
copies of
of legitimate
legitimate games.
games. The
The Justice
Justice Department
Department has
has said
said parallel
parallel
illegitimate
boards are
are illegal,
illegal , but
but there
there have
have been
been no
no court
court rulings
ru li ngs in
in any
any cases
cases involving
involving them.
them.
boards
Copied boards
boards are
are easier
easier to
to spot,
spot, and
and it's
it's getting
getting easier
easier to
to prosecute
prosecute offenders-some
offenders-some
Copied
are in
in jail
jail now.
now. But
But that
that came
came about
about because
because of
of work
work by
by many
many people
people in
in this
this industry
industry
are
with the
the cooperation
cooperation of
of law-enforcement
law-enforcement agencies.
agencies. A
A copy
copy board
board is
is a a copy
copy board,
board , and
and
with
when
one
is
found
it's
obvious
what
it
is
.
Parallel
boards
are
manufactured
legally
when one is found it's obvious what it is. Parallel boards are manufactured legally
overseas by
by legitimate
legitimate companies
companies and
and find
find their
their way
way into
into the
the U.S.
U.S. Although
Although they
they are
are
overseas
not
supposed
to
be
sold
here,
they
are,
and
that
is
the
heart
of
the
problem.
not supposed to be sold here, they are, and that is the heart of the problem.
It's a a serious
serious problem,
problem , folks,
folks , so
so a a head-in-the-sand
head-in-the-sand attitude
attitude won't
won 't work.
work. Take
Take it
it
It's
seriously,
and
if
you
didn't
hear
what
FBI
agent
Bob
Fay
(who
will
be
working
atAAMA
seriously, and if you didn't hear what FBI agent Bob Fay (who will be working at AAMA
focusing on
on enforcement
enforcement work)
work) had
had to
to say
say about
about it it at
at the
the show,
show, start
start your
your research
research
focusing
now.
An
I-didn't-
know
answer
w
ill
not
hold
up
in
court.
now. An I-didn't-know answer will not hold up in court.
Valerie Cognenich
Valerie Cognevich
Cognevich
Valerie
Director
of Advertising/
Advertising/
Director of
Executive
Ass
istant
Executive Assistant
PLAY METER,
METER, April
April 15,
15, 1986
1986
PLAY
5
5
NEWS
Senators introduce
introduce
Senators
polygraph bill
bill
polygraph
Senators Oren
Oren Hatch
Hatch and
and Ted
Ted
Senators
Kennedy
have
introduced
a
federal
Kennedy have introduced a federal
bill (S1815)
(S 1815) that
that would
would prohibit
prohibit the
the use
use
bill
of polygraph
polygraph tests
tests for
for employment.
employment.
of
According to
to this
this bill,
bill. violators
violators would
would
According
be
subject
to
fines
up
to$
I
0,000
and
up
be subject to fines up to $10,000 and up
to
six
months
in
prison.
to six months in prison.
similar bill
bill (HR
(HR 1524)
1524) introduced
introduced
A similar
A
by 167
167 sponsors,
sponsors, would
would also
also prohibit
prohibit
by
businesses
using
polygraph
tests
as a
a
businesses using polygraph tests as
condition
for
employment,
but
not
condition for employment, but not
include criminal
criminal penalties.
penalties. The
The bill
bill
include
would make
make available
available private
private civil
civil
would
action remedies
remedies for
for plaintiffs.
plaintiffs.
action
Ohio Representative
Representative Cliff
Cliff Skeen
Skeen
Ohio
has introduced
introduced the
the bill
bill in
in the
the Ohio
Ohio
has
legislation.
The
Ohio
Music
and
legislation. The Ohio Music and
Amusement
Association
(OMAA)
has
Amusement Association (OMAA) has
expressed
its
disapproval
of
the
state
expressed its disapproval of the state
and federal
federal bill.
bill. "Though
"Though I I don't
don't know
know
and
the
numbers,
I'm
certain
many
coin-
the numbers, I'm certain many coin-
operators depend on polygraph tests
operators depend on polygraph tests
in their
their hiring
hiring practices.
practices. The
The associa-
associa-
in
tion
feels
prohibiting
polygraph
tests
tion feels prohibiting polygraph tests
would
hurt
the
larger
operators
tre-
would hurt the larger operators tre-
mendously," said
said Judy
Judy Martin
Martin of
of
mendously,"
OMAA.
OMAA.
Operators in
in other
other states
states should
should
Operators
call
their
association
to
find
out
what
is
call their association to find out what is
being done
done and
and whether
whether similar
similar legis-
legis-
being
lation has
has been
been introduced
introduced in
in their
their
lation
states.
states.
trict Attorney
Attorney Mike
Mike Moore
Moore said,
said, "The
"The
trict
machines confiscated
confiscated are
are part
part of
of an
an
machines
ongoing
investigation
into
racketeer-
ongoing investigation into racketeer-
ing and
and corruption
corruption along
along the
the Gulf
Gulf
ing
Coast."
Coast."
In Louisiana's
Louisiana's St.
St. Bernard
Bernard Parish,
Parish,
In
detectives
seized
three
electronic
detectives seized three electronic
poker games
games at
at three
three businesses,
businesses,
poker
immobilized
eight
others
and
immobilized eight others, , and
arrested four
four employees
employees following
following a
a
arrested
month-long
undercover
investigation
month-long undercover investigation
into illegal gambling. Complaints
into
illegal gambling. Complaints
from citizens
citizens and
and the
the attorney
attorney
from
general's office
office initiated
initiated the
the investi-
investi-
general's
gation. If If convicted,
convicted, those
those arrested
arrested
gation.
face up
up to
to six
six months
months in
in prison
prison and
and up
up
face
to $500
$500 in
in fines.
fines.
to
During the
the investigation,
investigation, under-
under-
During
cover
agent
Will
Aldridge
played
the
cover agent Will Aldridge played the
electronic
poker
games
while
Sgt.
electronic poker games while Sgt.
Carmel Lovoi
Lovoi watched.
watched. Aldridge
Aldridge said
said
Carmel
employees
made
no
effort
to
conceal
employees made no effort to conceal
illegal payoffs,
payoffs, even
even though
though they
they knew
knew
illegal
he
was
a
p
olice
officer
"People
in
this
he was a police officer. "People in this
parish playing
playing poker
poker apparently
apparently don't
d on 't
parish
feel its
its a
a gambling
gambling violation,
violation, or
or any
any
feel
great crime,"
crime," he
he said.
said.
great
Deputies claim
claim that
that dozens
dozens of
of elec-
elec-
Deputies
Ironic poker
poker machines
machines are
are located
located in
in
tronic
businesses in
in St.
St. Bernard
Bernard Parish.
Parish. Ald-
Ald-
businesses
ridge said
said the
the investigation
investigation will
will con-
con-
ridge
tinue.

tinue.
Cue Ball
Ball Kelly
Kelly
Cue
dies at
at 90
90
dies
In our
our last
last issue
issue (April
(April 1, I, 1986)
1986) we
we
In
reported
that
J-S
Sales
Company
was
reported that J-S Sales Company was
working on
on the
the development
development and
and test-
test-
working
ing of
of the
the Cue
Cue Ball
Ball Kelly
Kelly line
line of
of billiard
billiard
ing
items. Sadly,
Sadly, we
we must
must now
now report
report that
that
items.
Cue
Ball
Kelly,
90,
passed
away
on
Cue Ball Kelly, 90, passed away on
March
23
after
suffering
a
heart
attack
March 23 after suffering a heart attack
just short
short of
of the
the debut
debut of
of his
his new
new pro-
pro-
just
duct
line.
duct line.
Kelly, whose
whose real
real name
name was
was Carl
Carl
Kelly,
Zingale,
acquired
the
nick-name
Kelly
Zingale, acquired the nick-name Kelly
when friends
friends began
began calling
calling him
him Kelly
Kelly
when
instead
of
Carly
when
he
was
a
young
instead of Carly when he was a young
boy. The
The second
second of
of 24
24 children
children born
b orn to
to
boy.
Rosa
and
Michael
Zingale,
he
played
Rosa and Michael Zingale, he played
his first
first game
game of
of billiards
billiards at
at age
age 1 11
and
his
1 and
went
on
to
win
the
New
York
State
went on to win the New York State
Championship at
at age
age 15.
15. Kelly
Kelly was
was
Championship
the referee
referee of
of the
the Billiard
Billiard Congress
Congress U.S.
U.S.
the

Southern states
states
Southern
seize poker
poker machines
machines
seize
Law enforcement
enforcement agencies
agencies are
are
Law
cracking
down
on
poker
machines
in
cracking down on poker machines in
Mississippi,
Alabama,
and
Louisiana.
Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana.
After receiving
receiving citizen
citizen complaints,
complaints,
After
the
Jackson
County
district
attorney's
the Jackson County district attorney's
office
began
an
investigation
into
office began an investigation into
racketeering
and
corrupt
activities
in
racketeering and corrupt activities in
that county,
county, which
which resulted
resulted in
in 16
16
that
arrests and
and confiscation
confiscation of
of 200
200 gam-
gam-
arrests
bling
machines.
The
investigation
bling machines. The investigation
expanded into
into two
two other
other Mississippi
Mississippi
expanded
counties,
Hancock
and
Harrison,
and
counties, Hancock and Harrison, and
into
Mobile
County
in
Alabama.
into Mobile County in Alabama.
In an
an Associated
Associated Press
Press article,
article, Dis-
Dis-
In
6 6
Awards were
were presented
presented to
to the
the top
top teams
teams and
and players
players in
in IDEA's
IDEA's Royal
Royal Darte
Darte
Awards
League
at
a
recent
banquet
at
Carl's
Fargo
Coach
Rooms
in
Sycamore,
League at a recent banquet at Carl's Fargo Coach Rooms in Sycamore,
Ill. Spring
Spring league
league competition
competition begins
begins soon.
soon.
Ill.
PLAY METER,
METER, April
April 15,
15, 1986
1986
PLAY

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