Coin Slot

Coin Slot Magazine - #086 - 1982 - April [International Arcade Museum]
COUNCIL OF
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
*•*•*•**•••****•***••*•**
NOTICE
D.C. LAW 4-59
"Antique Slot Machine Act of 1981"
Pursuant to Section 412 of the District of Columbia Self-
Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, P. L
93-198, "the Act," the Council of the District of Columbia
adopted Bill No. 4-129 on first and second readings,
September 29,1981 and October 13, 1981, respectively.
Following the signature of the Mayor on October 30,1981,
this legislation was assigned Act No. 4-105, published in
the November 6,1981 edition of the D. C. Register, (Vol. 28
page 4766) and transmitted to Congress on November 2,
1981 for a 30-day review, in accordance with Section 602
(c)(1) of the Act.
The Council of the District of Columbia hereby gives
notice that the 30-day Congressional Review Period has
expired, and therefore, cites this enactment as D.C. Law
4-59, effective January 26, 1982.
Arrington Dixon
Chairman of the Council
CODIFICATION D.C. Code, sec. 22-1504(1973 ed.)
"For the purposes of this section, the term 'gambling
device' shall not include slot machines manufactured
.before 1952, intended for exhibition or private use by the
owner, and not used for gambling purposes. The term 'slot
machine' means a mechanical device, an essential part of
which is a drum or reel which bears an insignia and which
when operated may deliver, as a result of the application of
an element of chance, a token, money, or property, or by
operation of which a person may become entitled to
receive, as a result of this application of an element of
chance, a token, money, or property."
25 Year Law
Continued from page 66
31 Slot Machines Seized by Police
Police on Tuesday seized 31 slot machines at a San
Jose amusement store in what officers predict will be a
precedent-setting case in terms of the legality of
selling coin-operated gambling devices.
Vice-squad officers, working with the California
Department of Justice, confiscated $65,000 worth of
slot machines from A. Amusements and Vending, 2316
Stevens Creek Blvd.
The store is a wholesale-retail outlet for video games,
pinball machines, slot machines, juke boxes and other
coin-operated games.
Police say it is illegal to sell the confiscated slot
machines in California because they were manufac
tured after Dec. 31, 1940. Under state law, slot ma
chines built before that date are considered antiques
and may be sold.
It was the first such seizure ever made in San Jose,
police Sgt. Terry Bauleke said.
"We've confiscated individual slot machines before
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Several plainclothes officers entered the store Tues
day afternoon accompanied by an "expert," a former
member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
April, 1982
© The International Arcade Museum
The expert "fingered" 31 slot machines, including
three toy slot machines. Police then identifed them
selves and made the seizure.
"He's widely known as an expert. It was his opinion
that the ones that we confiscated did not fit the criteria
of the law," Bauleke said of the former gaming-board
member. Bauleke declined to name the man.
The slot machines, 28 of which are made of cast iron
and wood and weigh about 90 pounds each, were
booked into evidence at the Police Administration
Building.
Those confiscated machines sell for$895 to$3,500,
store owner Ron Smith said.
Bauleke said three toy slot machines, valued at $75
each, were seized and booked into evidence because
"they are operated as slot machines and can pay off."
Police will seek a complaint against the store charg
ing illegal possession and possession for sale of
gaming devices.
"We're not coming down here to jump into every
body's house to see if they have slot machinea This
was a commercial operation. If s our feeling they are
not antiques," Bauleke said.
"We're also concerned about the consumer aspect
of it. They're purporting that they (the slot machines)
are antiques. If they're not, then the customers aren't
getting their money's worth. That's fraud."
Smith said the confiscated slot machines qualify as
antiques under California law and said he intends to
fight the police action.
"We'll fight it in court. There was no precedent for this
(seizure). This case will definitely impact on anybody
(selling slot machines) in Santa Clara County, and
probably on the entire state," Smith said.
Bauleke said the case probably will set precedent
"The court needs to decide what is an antique. If you
buy a fiberglass model of a Model T (antique auto
mobile), is it an antique?" Bauleke said.
Smith said he bought 12 of the seized slot machines
from a Nevada company. The remaining machines
were "bought at various times and places, flea markets
and such, from private parties," he said.
Smith said he referred to the 1979 edition of "Blue
Book of Slot Machines" published by Mead Publishing
Co. in Los Angeles to help determine the manufactur
ing date of the slot machines.
"In some cases, the cases (slot-machine frames)
were made after 1940. We don't feel that has that
much bearing. As far as our understanding of the law,
it's the (inner) mechanism that counts," Smith said.
Smith said other points of contention in the case are
"how many new pieces go into a remanufactured slot
machine before it's no longer considered an antique,"
and "whether or not a (slot machine) reproduction is
still an antique. The law is very vague on that"
Smith said people buy slot machines "as an antique
investment, or as a conversation piece. Some people
buy them because they want to keep their wives from
going up to Reno and spending money.
"They're legal in your own home. If you win, if s your
money. If you lose, it's your money.
"Here in thestore we demonstrate the machinea But
the winnings stay here and the loss stays here. We
don't let anybody gamble. That would be illegal."
THE COIN SLOT-69
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