Fake Bingo Machines are getting busted
27th February, 2008
Last night top lawmakers have stated their intentions to support the plan to outlaw so far very badly regulated electronic gambling machines. They have the same characteristics as slot machines, as they have the same rules and methods of playing and they even look like slots, but somehow these machines managed to avoid lawmakers’ attention for years, stuck in a comfortable legal loophole.
It came down to the matter of technicality, as these machines, many of which had spinning fruits, like cherries as well as bar icons, were still considered bingo games, rather than slot machines.
This comes as a surprise considering that the distribution of such machines was huge, from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore.
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch are just the two out of few legislators who feel that these machines have to necessarily be reconsidered in terms of their description and legal characteristics.
These lawmakers have been trying to promote the idea of legalizing slot machines for some time now. The November referendum which should reveal the results from people voting for and against legalizing slot machines is going to be very important here. If the voters say yes to the slot machines, then these so-called “bingo games” could seriously damage revenues made from slots, which is one of the main concerns expressed by the lawmakers who are encouraging voters to agree with the slot machine legalization. The other reason Miller and Busch mentioned is the fact that these gaming machines are also competing with the lottery and therefore reducing the profits which contribute towards state in contrast to these so-called “bingo machines”.
Here is what Miller said about the issue: "These machines have sprung up almost like a disease. These are counterfeit slots, but the money goes to private entrepreneurs. It doesn't benefit the state."
The opposition against the law that Miller and his like-minded colleagues wish to enforce is expected to come firstly from everyone who makes money from these machines, such as owners and operators, who have also spend some time and money on lobbying for leaving such machines legal; secondly from officials in the areas where the machines are part of the plan, strictly regulated and contribute towards education and emergency services, such as Western Maryland; and finally from the nonprofit organizations within the state which nearly fully rely on the revenues made from these machines.
Sen. Thomas "Mac" Middleton said that in his state, Southern Maryland, the spread of these “toys” takes you back to years ago, when slots machines were legal and placed in nearly every social get-together, such as bars, clubs and other “fun” places.
Here is what Middleton thinks about the current situation: "Some of us feel it puts the whole [slot machine] referendum in jeopardy. People see the machines cropping up everywhere and will say that they don't want them anywhere. Others might say, 'Well, I like slot machines just where they are now, I don't need to go to any of the tracks, so why should I vote for it?'"
