Play Meter

hooked to the main computer by July
I.
Ohio uses the machines in its lottery,
and an Ohio Lottery spokesman said,
"It's the titillation of technology that
attracts the public's curiosity to the
machines."
Illinois was the site of a nine-month
video-lottery test sponsored by Bally
Manufacturing, whose subsidiary,
Scientific Games, makes lottery equip-
ment for other states. That test ended a
dismal failure. Free-lance writer Tom
Lucas, in an article about the video
lottery, wrote that the video-game
format probably was only a fore-
runner of automatic lottery machines.
He says of the new machines, "Doors
are open for the use of the video-
game amusement characters as
attractions to the 'new' video-lottery
machines, although whether this
proves to be desirable for the lottery is
unclear."
Amusement operators have
opposed the use of video-game
themes for lottery machines because
of image problems that may result
from associating the coin-op industry
with gambling.
According to the Chicago Sun
Times , in 1975 the lottery brought
$58,000 into the Illinois treasury on
sales of S 129,000. This year, the profit is
expected to be $580 million on sales of
S 1.3 billion. Lotto began as aS I million
once-a-week game and now is a $3
million game twice a week.
•
AMOA criticizes medical
association's proposal
In a letter to its members, the
Amusement and Music Operators
Association (AMOA) has criticized the
American Medical Association ' s
(AMA) recommendation that ciga-
rette advertising and the sale of ciga-
rettes through vending machines be
banned. Noting that the AMA intends
to have legislation introduced at state
and national levels to reach its objec-
tives, the AMOA said the proposed
ban's effect on vendors would be
dramatic.
"It's unfair and naive," said John
Estridge, the AMOA's immediate past
president. " It would cause financial
grief to people who own and supply
cigarette-vending machines."
The AMOA attached a copy of an
action plan implemented by the
National Coin Machine Institute
(NCMI) and urged its members to
follow the plan. The AMOA cited the
NCMI's telegram sent to the American
PLAY METER. March 15, 1986
Medical Association. It read:
"In singling out cigarette-vending
machines in the cigarette-distribution
chain as the only target for the outright
ban, delegates ignore the other 90
percent of retail sales. The delegates
were seemingly ignorant of the fact
that 95 percent of our cigarette
machines are in highly regulated
establishments that serve alcoholic
beverages or are regulated in highly
supervised factory and work locations.
"While clearly unfair and discrimi-
nating, AMA's action is also uncon-
stitutional in seeking to prevent the
sale of a product that is legally manu-
factured. The 75,000 employees of the
6.500 small business operations who
place and service cigarette-vending
machines urge you to reconsider your
unfair actions in combating the pro-
blem you perceive."
The AMA stated in its resolution that
"there are 3.3 million teenage smokers
12 to 18 years old, representing 12 per-
cent of that age group, and a signifi-
cant number of children under the
legal age to purchase cigarettes do so
through vending machines."
The NCMI refuted the statement
saying, "Our prices are generally
higher than supermarkets, and chil-
dren are well versed in saving money;
95 percent of our locations are where
children are not present; the other five
percent of the machines have mini-
mum sales, and it is our feeling that
children will not purchase their ciga-
rettes there; and in a research project
in relation to the purchase of ciga-
rettes it was determined that the major-
ity of children get cigarettes from
parents, friends, or retail outlets. By far,
the smallest percentage came out of
vending machines."
Roger Mozingo of the Tobacco
Institute in Washington said 10 percent
of all cigarettes are purchased
through vending machines.
The latest action by the AMA he
said, should make those involved in
vending more actively oppose pro-
posed legislation or regulations to ban
smoking.
The NCMI has urged operators to
get involved politically to prevent the
proposed legislation. The institute will
furnish a list of doctors who attended
the convention to operators who wish
to discuss the proposal with doctors in
their area.
•
Tonk-A-Phone fights
trademark ruling
THE
CALENDAR
I
April 11-10
New York State Coin Machine Associ-
ation Trade Show, Turf Inn, Albany,
New York. Contact Gina Vichiconti or
Curtiss Motterson, NYSCMA Head-
quarters, c/o Matterson Associates,
427 Kenwood Ave.. Delmar, NY
12054, telephone (518) 439-0981.
April 18-19
Washington Amusement & Music
Operators Association (W AMOA)
Annual Pacific Northwest Exposition,
P.ed Uon Inn, Bellevue, Washington.
Contact Steve livingston at
(509)326-6053 or Jim Hart at (509)
457-5891.
April 26
Amusement and Music Operators of
Texas (AMOT) 6th Annual Texas
State Eight Boll Pool Tournament,
Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas. Contact
Pot Miller, (512) 454-8625. Direct all
inquiries to 940 E. 51st St .. Austin, TX
78751.
May 10-14
P.SP.OA (P.oller Skating P.in k
Operator's Association) Trade Show,
Terrazo Room/Exhibit Hall, Disney-
land Hotel. 1150 West Cerritos Ave-
nue, Anaheim, CA 92802. Contact
Pamela Myhre or Potty Shorney,
P.SP.OA. P.O. Box 81846, Uncoln, NE
68501 or call (402) 489-8811.
May 16-18
Wisconsin Amusement & Music
Operators Annual Convention and
Trade Show, Embassy Suites, Green
Bay. Contact WAMO at (414) 529-
4704.
May 29-Jun• 1
Florida Amusement/Vending Asso-
ciation (FAVA) Convention Trade
Show. Hyatt Orlando, Kissimmee,
Florida. Contact Norm Jensen at
(904) 8 78-3134.
lnt•matlonal Shows
April 14-20
Milan Fair, Fiero Campionaria lnter-
nazionole di Milano, Milan. Contact
EA. Fiero Milano, Largo Domodos-
salo 1, 1 20415 Milano, Italy. Tel e-
phone 49 971. Telex 331360.
April 24-16
SADA '86, Barcelona, Spain. Contact
lnterolio SA . Diagonal 47 4 ,
Barcelona 6, Spain. Telephone 93-
218-58-50.
Tonk-A-Phone, a Minnesota com-
7