A new bill is being considered by the California Assembly in the US, which could affect amusement skill games that award prizes.
The AB 1753 bill, introduced by Rep. Isadore Hall III of the 52nd district on February 8, carries a bland technical title referring to its intent to modify the state penal code regarding slot machines.
The proposed bill’s legal language expands the definition of “slot machine” to include any device that is coin-operated and can “sell, deliver or present some merchandise, indication of weight, entertainment or other thing of value.”
This machine classification would be restricted to awarding prizes limited to the value of the price per play and increase penalties for certain gambling violations.
According to US trade press, certain industry members have questioned whether the proposed law could negatively impact the operation of amusement redemption games. However, one clause in the bill explicitly exempts “pinball and other amusement machines or devices, which are predominantly games of skill.”
This exemption might seem to close the matter, but California has apparently had an uneven history of enforcement of gaming statues - including the occasional misinterpretation by law enforcement and misapplication to amusement games.
One leading operator has warned: “If the bill is misread by local poilce and district attorneys to apply to redemption games, it could conceivably shut down the redemption industry in parts of California or in any state or jurisdiction that adopts copycat legislation.”
But, according to attorney Bob Snyder, who has studied AB 1753, amusement professinals don’t need to worry. “I don’t think it even applies to redemption games or the amusement industry,” Synder told US trade press. “There is a specific exemption for amusements which, admittedly, could be spelled out a little stronger.”
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