Ohio Aims to Stop Electronic Gambling Machines

On Wednesday, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland signed an Executive Order aimed at stopping the flood of new electronic gambling machines in Ohio.

There has been a rise in the number of illegal gambling machines around the State of Ohio. The reason for the rise in illegal gambling machines comes from the current law not clearly defining what is and what is not a "skill-based amusement machine."

This Executive Order authorizes Attorney General Marc Dann to implement a new administrative rule that will finally provide a usable definition for "skill-based amusement game." This definition will give law enforcement authorities clear guidance on which machines are illegal gambling machines and which are amusement machines protected by Ohio law.

In a press release issued by the State of Ohio Governor Strickland notes that there has been an increase in individuals exploiting the ambiguity of the current provision in Ohio. The State of Ohio needs to design a law to protect amusement games like those at Chuck E. Cheese or Cedar Point which allow one to win small non-cash prizes.

These rules clearly defined the difference between playing a video game or arcade game and winning a small toy prize or playing a game that resembles a slot machine and receiving cash. Strickland vows that, "We are going to make the difference crystal clear through administrative rule until the legislature can take more permanent action."

This new rule specifies that any skill-based amusement machines such as a mechanical or electronic game that awards merchandise prizes can not award cash. The game can not award vouchers for cash. This rule then goes on to say that any winnings from the machine will be based on skill alone. What this means is that the machine can not be set to give out a pre-programmed number or percentage of wins.

This rule also puts a clear dollar limit on the merchandise prizes for the skill-based amusement games that will be given away. The maximum prize for one game played at the skill based machine can not exceed a wholesale value of $10 or less.

Several different amusement gaming venues such as Dave and Busters in Ohio have a voucher system where you play the skill based games for prizes that can exceed the $10 wholesale value. This is acceptable as long as one game does not give the winner vouchers that can be redeemed for a prize valued over the $10 limit. If you were to get a prize values at $20 wholesale limit you would need to have played at least two games.

http://ohio.gov/news