Is It Legal To Own A Slot Machine

State and Federal Laws

Forty-one states allow people to own used slot machines for personal use. Only nine states have a total ban on buying and selling used gaming machines. Most of the other states have restrictions placed on the legal purchase of second-owner slot machines, but they have a wide range for what is allowed. Save States have differing laws on personal slot machine ownership, but my understanding is that in California, a machine must be 25 years old or more to be legally owned by an individual. There are several 'antique slot machine' dealers on the web that list the various makes and models that are legal to own in California.

Gambler’s Paradise complies with all state and local laws pertaining to sales and distribution of casino equipment. The following chart shows to the best of our knowledge the current and correct information on the legal requirements for slot machines in the various states. Laws may change or vary from time to time and we assume no legal responsibility based on this listing. It is your responsibility as the purchaser to check state and local requirements for gaming equipment prior to purchase of any slot machine from Gambler’s Paradise.

StateLEGAL STATUS RESTRICTIONS/USE OF CURRENCYLEGAL REFERENCE
AlaskaALL LEGALAlaska Statutes – Section 11.66.260
ArizonaALL LEGALArizona Revised Statutes 13-3301 – 13-3309
ArkansasALL LEGALN/A
KentuckyALL LEGALKentucky Revised Statutes 528.080
MaineALL LEGALMaine Revised Statutes Title 17A – Chapter 39
MinnesotaALL LEGALMinnesota Statutes and Criminal Laws
NevadaALL LEGALN/A
OhioALL LEGALOhio Revised Code
Rhode IslandALL LEGALRhode Island General Laws
TexasALL LEGALTexas Statutes Chapter 47
UtahALL LEGALN/A
VirginiaALL LEGALN/A
West VirginiaALL LEGALN/A
CaliforniaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERCalifornia Penal Code 330.7
ColoradoMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1984Colorado Revised Statutes 12-47.1-103
DelawareMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDER28 Delaware 904
FloridaMACHINES 20 YEARS OR OLDERFlorida Statutes 849.235
GeorgiaMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1950Georgia Code Title 16, Sec. 16-12-24
IdahoMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1950Idaho Statutes Title 18, 3810
IllinoisMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERIllinois Compiled Statutes 720 5/28-1
IowaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERIowa Code 725.9
KansasMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1950Kansas Statutes 21-4306
LouisianaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERLouisiana Title 15:31-1
MarylandMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERMaryland Code Article 27-264B
MassachusettsMACHINES 30 YEARS OR OLDERMassachusetts General Laws Ch. 271, Sec. 5A
MichiganMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERMichigan Compiled Statutes 750.303
MississippiMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERMississippi Code 27-27-12
MissouriMACHINES 30 YEARS OR OLDERMissouri Revised Statutes 572.070 & 572.125
MontanaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERMontana State Code 23-5-153
New HamsphireMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERNew Hampshire Revised Statutes 647:2
New JerseyMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1941New Jersey Statute 2C:37-7
New YorkMACHINES 30 YEARS OR OLDERNew York Consolidated Laws 225.32
North CarolinaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERNorth Carolina General Statutes 14-309.1
North DakotaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERNorth Dakota Century Code 12.1-28-02
OklahomaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDEROklahoma State Statutes 21-964
OregonMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDEROregon Revised Statutes 167.147
PennsylvaniaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERPennsylvania Consolidated Statutes 5513
South DakotaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERSouth Dakota Codified Laws 22-25-14.1
Vermont MACHINESMANUFACTURED PRE – 1954Vermont Statutes Title 13, Ch. 51, Sec. 2135
WashingtonMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERRevised Code of Washington 9.46.235
Washington, DCMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1952District of Columbia 22-1704
WyomingMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERWyoming Statute 6-7-101
AlabamaPROHIBITEDAL Code Section 13A, Chapter 12, Article 2
ConnecticutPROHIBITEDConnecticut Chapter 946, Section 53-278a
HawaiiPROHIBITEDHawaii Statutes §712-1226
IndianaPROHIBITEDIndiana Code 35-45-5-4
NebraskaPROHIBITEDNebraska Revised Statutes Section 28-1107
New MexicoPROHIBITEDNM Gaming Control Bd. v. Ten Gaming Devices
South CarolinaPROHIBITEDSouth Carolina Code §12-21-2710
TennesseePROHIBITEDSTennessee Code §39-17-505
WisconsinPROHIBITEDWisconsin Statutes Chapter 945
Legal

The ambiguity around legality of online gambling has been a cause of concern for many people in New Jersey. The state has been allowing gambling in brick and mortar casinos for over 3 decades now. However, the state did not have laws that allowed online gambling in any form. The good news is that new laws pertaining to gambling have been introduced in the state, and for the good. Here is more in detail about the laws pertaining to gambling in New Jersey.

Is Online Gambling Legal in New Jersey?

For a long time now, states in the US have been fighting to make online gambling legal in their jurisdictions. Of the handful that have been successful in this venture, New Jersey is one. In February 2013, New Jersey became the third and the largest state in the US to legalize online gambling for its residents[1]. The legislative bill was passed after the state governor Chris Christie approved it, after it was modified to his specifications. The new law that has been passed is expected to bring big changes to the gambling industry in the state.

While this certainly comes as good news for Atlantic City casinos, it comes at a cost. The bill had increased the tax levied on the casinos from 10% to 15%, and there is a 10-year testing and trial period for online betting through the internet. In addition to these, the bill has also increased the annual funding amount for fighting compulsive gambling, from $150,000 to $250,000.

The new bill will allow casinos to offer the games that they offer in their brick and mortar casinos[2] through the internet. This means, only those games that the local casino operators offer can be played for money in the state. At present, Atlantic City has 12 casinos which can offer their games online. Online gaming is the state is likely to get operational only after a period of 9 to 12 months, after the casinos set their systems up and the NJ Casino Control Commission audits and provides licenses to run them, and sets a start date for the operations.

The rules applicable for online gambling via these casinos will be the same that apply to gambling in the brick and mortar casinos. The final rules for online gambling in the state, however, should be approved by New Jersey’s Game Enforcement Division, before they are applied. The bill also allows people from other states to gamble or place bets in the state of New Jersey, providing that it is not restricted by the laws of other states and the federal laws. This, again, will be a call that the regulatory authority has to take.

Gambling in New Jersey – What is Legal?

New Jersey and gambling go a long way back. The many forms of gambling allowed in NJ include the New Jersey lottery, charity betting, off-track betting, horse racing, social gambling and amusement games.

Is It Legal To Own A Slot Machine

The concept of lotteries existed in the state as far back as the 1800s, when money was raised through them for supporting the soldiers of war and for building educational institutions. Informal horse racing was also prevalent in the area around the 1830s and a proper racetrack, the Monmouth Park Racetrack was opened officially in 1870. Soon afterward, gambling was banned and no form of gambling was legal till 1939.

New Jersey State administrators passed bills to legalize racetrack betting in 1939, charity gambling like bingo and other games in churches were legalized in 1953, and amusement games were legalized in 1959. New Jersey voted in favor of lotteries in 1970, when the New Jersey Lottery was created. The Pick-It lottery initiated by the state lottery was the first ever legal lottery in the US.[3]

In 1974, a bill for legalizing casino gambling was voted against in the state. However, legislators had passed a bill two years later, allowing operation of casinos legally, but restricting it to Atlantic City. Online gambling, which includes playing casino games like slots, blackjack, poker etc. online, was legalized in February 2013.

Despite the repeated lobbying for legalization of sports betting in the state, a US District Court had ruled in favor of Athletic Leagues that filed a lawsuit against the State, and barred the state from issuing any licenses for sports betting activity in its jurisdiction. Governor Christie is in favor of an appeal to the federal courts, in a bid to reverse the unfavorable decision.

Owning a New or Used Slot Machine in New Jersey

In the US, the laws for owning a slot machine for personal use differ from one state to another. New Jersey has been a gambling hub in the US, and is home to 12 huge casinos. However, the state considers possession of a gambling device as illegal, and as a violation of the Section 116 of the New Jersey Casino Control Act, unless the slot machine owned by the person is considered to be antique. Also, the law sanctions possession of used slot game machine for social uses, provided the game is before 1941.