Bangor, Maine Debates Slots
In Bangor, Maine the debate over slot machine parlors is in full swing. As of late the Hollywood Slots company wants to add a new type of slot machine. Seems somewhat harmless but the state’s Gambling Control board has been dragging its feet on whether or not to allow the slot machine into the market. The new slot machine is referred to as a “hosted” slot machine. That just means that it mimics table card games although technically it operates like a slot machine with a random number generator.
The new machines are still automated but instead of putting money into slots, customers sit around a table like they would playing blackjack or poker, and a casino employee puts the money in for them. They have a dealer of sorts so the overall feel of the game is more “gambling” than it is “slots.” To add to confusion, a lot of the debate over whether or not they fall into the category of “slot game” is dependent on the individual’s perception.
The Gambling Control Board last week put off making a decision. Some board members said the machine technically meets Maine’s definition of a slot machine, but others said it feels more like a card game, which is not legal. After debate, the board agreed to revisit the matter in December after gathering more information. The debate will rage and comes down to how the legislators perceive the machine. If it is a slots machine it should have no problem being legalized. However if it is a card game, then Hollywood Slots can expect to have a pretty big problem on its hands trying to convince legislators otherwise.
As municipalities move through the legalization process, more and more debates will rage. As of yet the UIGEA still does not define what exactly gambling is. This is creating many problems for states and cities that are now left to define things such as “what is a slots game” and “what is legal” for themselves. The disparity in a uniform decision could prove to be a bigger problem down the road. Only time will tell whether or not Bangor, Maine will allow the new slots to enter the market and how they will eventually define “slot machine.”
