Tennessee slot machine law status

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Re: Tennessee slot machine law status

Postby sam2002 » Thu Jan 12, 2017 4:23 pm

Pizza cool!
Last edited by sam2002 on Sun Jan 15, 2017 11:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Tennessee slot machine law status

Postby Rick-okc » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:21 pm

I live in Tennessee and am constantly looking over my shoulder. Every now and then I run across an old slot in an antique store and wonder if they ever have problems from local law enforcement. My biggest worry is a local Sherriff gets word of my machines and grabs them for his rec room, plus like someone already mentioned being able to bid on slot related stuff on eBay. Its interested that I can sell slots but can't bid on them on eBay.

I'd love to get some local collectors together and see what we can do to get the law changed here in Tennessee and in Alabama.

Rick
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Re: Tennessee slot machine law status

Postby JHSS-1944 » Sat Jan 14, 2017 2:53 am

Rick ; you sell them on e-ban ? if so , that is interesting.
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Re: Tennessee slot machine law status

Postby Rick-okc » Tue Jan 17, 2017 8:30 pm

I've had pretty good luck selling on eBay.
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Re: Tennessee slot machine law status

Postby JHSS-1944 » Wed Jan 18, 2017 2:29 am

that's good to hear. I have no issues with it. but find it interesting. would be nice to push in a change in the law there. figure out what some of the other states actually state & use the same wording or close to it.
any slot / gaming machine before a specific date , ect.,ect. or X- amount of years old ,ect,.ect.
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Re: Tennessee slot machine law status

Postby Rick-okc » Mon Jan 30, 2017 6:00 pm

Guys,

Here is a copy of Tennessee Code concerning possession of a gambling device with my changes (in red) allowing for ownership of antiques slots. Would you guys please take a look at my changes and provide feedback. I know nothing about writing state code, however, I'm pretty good at finding code I like and plugging it in. I found this in Mississippi's state code. They had the best reading code and the 25 year old rule to boot.
Once I get the changes finalized, I'll start working with my local politicians. Perhaps other collectors in Tennessee could do the same thing, AFTER we get the wording in the change the way we want it.

IF YOU KNOW OF ANY COLLECTORS IN TENNESSEE PLEASE TELL THEM TO LOOK AT THIS AND CONTACT ME.


TENNESSEE CODE ANNOTATED
© 2016 by The State of Tennessee
All rights reserved


*** Current through the 2016 Regular Session and the 2nd Extraordinary Session of the 109th Tennessee General Assembly ***

Title 39 Criminal Offenses
Chapter 1 Offenses Against Public Health, Safety and Welfare
Part 5 Gambling

Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-505 (2016)

39-17-505. Possession of gambling device or record -- Forfeiture.

(a) (1) A person commits an offense who knowingly owns, manufactures, possesses, buys, sells, rents, leases, stores, repairs, transports, prints, or makes any gambling device or record.

(2) It is not an offense for a person to own or possess in this state a lottery ticket originating from a state in which a lottery is lawful, if the ticket is not owned or possessed for the purpose of resale.

(3) It is not an offense for a person to knowingly own, manufacture, possess, buy, sell, rent, lease, store, repair, transport, print or make any gambling device or record if the device or record is owned, manufactured, possessed, bought, sold, rented, leased, stored, repaired, transported, printed or made pursuant to title 4, chapter 51, part 1 (Lottery) and part 6 (Lottery) of this chapter.

(4) It is not an offense for a person to knowingly own, manufacture, possess, buy, sell, rent, lease, store, repair, transport, print or make any gambling device or record if the device or record is for the purpose of conducting an annual event pursuant to title 3, chapter 17, and part 6 of this chapter.

(5) It is not an offense for a person to knowingly own, manufacture, possess, buy, sell, store, repair, or transport any gambling device if the device is an antique coin machine as defined below.

(A) The purpose of this section is to protect and foster the collection and restoration of antique coin machines not used for gambling purposes, due to their aesthetic value and significance in U.S. and Tennessee history.

(B) An "antique coin machine" is defined as any mechanical device or contrivance that is twenty-five (25) or more years old and that is operated, played, worked, manipulated or used by inserting or depositing any coin, slug, token, or thing of value, in which any game may be played or in which may be seen any picture or heard any music or any form of diversion had, including, but not limited to, an antique slot machine, antique gambling device or antique gaming machine.

(C) An antique coin machine may be owned and possessed in this state and shall not be subject to confiscation or destruction without a judgment of court as provided for in this section, but may be seized as evidence when operated for unlawful gambling purposes.

(D) An antique coin machine seized as evidence in connection with unlawful gambling shall not be destroyed, altered or sold until the owner has been afforded a reasonable opportunity to present testimony and other evidence in court that the machine was not operated for unlawful gambling. If the court determines by a final and definitive judgment that such machine was operated for unlawful gambling, the court shall order the machine to be destroyed, altered or sold, but if the judgment is in favor of the owner, such machine shall be returned to its owner.

(E) An antique coin machine may be displayed only in private dwellings or while being offered for sale by a licensed retail dealer other than one licensed to sell alcoholic beverages. Such machine must be clearly marked by placard or otherwise that indicates that it is an antique and is not to be used for gambling purposes. If an antique coin machine is displayed in any other manner, it shall not be subject to the provisions of subsections (C) and (D) of this section.

(56) (A) It shall not be an offense for a manufacturer of gambling devices to knowingly own, manufacture, assemble, design, possess, buy, sell, rent, lease, store, repair, transport, print or make any gambling device or record solely intended for gambling outside of this state and in compliance with the laws of the United States. The requirement that the manufacturing, selling or leasing of gambling devices be intended solely for gambling outside of the state shall not restrict uses of the gambling devices by the manufacturer that are ancillary or accessorial to the manufacturing, selling or leasing process or business, including, but not limited to, using the gambling devices for research and development, employee training, compliance program initiatives, testing and quality assurance processes, showroom display, leasing or purchasing or selling of gambling devices or parts or equipment, storage or warehousing of gambling devices or parts or equipment, maintenance or refurbishing of gambling devices or parts or equipment, and safekeeping of gambling devices or parts or equipment for future litigation. Also considered ancillary or accessorial to the manufacturing, selling or leasing process or business shall be the use or operation of computers, computer servers, and similar electronic devices, hardware and software, and all gambling records, data or information owned, maintained or stored thereupon, or produced, generated, created, printed, transported or transmitted therefrom, whether paper, electronic or otherwise, in conjunction with legal gambling and in compliance with the laws of the United States. Ancillary or accessorial uses shall not include use of the gambling devices or records that would allow persons physically present in the state of Tennessee to place gambling bets. This subdivision (a)(5) shall not apply unless the manufacturer meets or exceeds federal government requirements pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1171 et seq., and any regulations promulgated pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1171 et seq., and provides the secretary of state with a copy of the request for registration pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1173, together with copies of each gambling license or permit issued by any regulatory authority, including but not limited to any state, country, federally recognized tribe or United States territory, and pays a ten-thousand-dollar fee prior to January 1 of that year. Additionally, the manufacturer shall provide the secretary of state with proof of annual registration under 15 U.S.C. § 1173 with the office of the United States attorney general within thirty (30) days of the receipt thereof.

(B) The fee imposed by subdivision (a)(5)(A) shall not apply to nonprofit corporations licensed by the department of mental health and substance abuse services and certified by the department of human services to provide vocational rehabilitation job training programs that otherwise qualify for the exemption under subdivision (a)(5)(A).

(b) (1) Any gambling device or record is contraband and shall be subject to seizure, confiscation and forfeiture in accordance with the forfeiture provisions, compiled in chapter 11, part 7 of this title.

(2) After a gambling device or record has been forfeited to the state pursuant to chapter 11, part 7 of this title, the court hearing the criminal charges resulting in the forfeiture shall order the destruction of the device or record. If the district attorney general or law enforcement agency does not believe that a gambling device or record should be destroyed in a particular case, the district attorney general shall petition the court for an alternate disposition of the record or device. If the court finds that the proposed alternate disposition reasonably ensures that the device will not be used in an unlawful manner in this state, the court may grant the petition and order the disposition of the device or record in accordance with the petition.

(c) Possession of a gambling device or record is a Class B misdemeanor.
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Re: Tennessee slot machine law status

Postby Midcoast Vintage » Tue Jan 31, 2017 7:50 pm

in addition, you should take several issues of coin slot, mechanical marvel marketplace, loose change, and other coin op publications, many coin op reference books, a morphy vegas auction catalog, etc. to show what interest there actually is in coin machines. take issues of loose change that have pictures of G.A.M.E.S. , the slot machine store that used to be in Van Nuys, Ca., as well as any other issues showing articles on stores. Also take issues of coin slot showing pictures and articles of when the laws got changed in other states.
Any positive look you can project will be useful.
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Re: Tennessee slot machine law status

Postby Rick-okc » Tue Jan 31, 2017 8:01 pm

Thank you. Good suggestions.
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Re: Tennessee slot machine law status

Postby JHSS-1944 » Wed Feb 01, 2017 2:12 am

Rick ;
Possibly document (some how) the sales traffic of these types of machines via e-bay, Morphy auction, ect.
the auction alone should help state the interest , collectability , ect. last auction ; a 2 day sale,over 3,000 items up for sale,99 % of them selling , And the prices these were selling for...... the Hoke snake for $60,000.00 ! that should open someone's eyes. (no idea on the total sales generated from this auction but, a lot).
Plus all the people making & selling aftermarket parts to restore these machines, many right here on this site.
weird idea but ,the idea of "restraint of trade". if you can't own them in Tennessee, then you can't have a business in Tennessee, in which to repairing them / restoring them.
lots of luck Rick on this !!!
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Re: Tennessee slot machine law status

Postby oldslotman » Wed Feb 01, 2017 11:03 am

Rick, let me know about what you come up with. I may try it again here in Nebraska.
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