Illegal gambling has a way of sneaking into a community. Even in the states where some form of gambling is legalized, you would still find some illegal establishments.
This form of gambling is frowned upon, especially by state officials. This has led to several exercises to seize and destroy illegal gaming machines.
Michigan has legalized sports betting, tribal and commercial casino gaming, and poker games. The operators of these facilities must apply and qualify for a license to run their establishments legally. Unfortunately, not all gambling operators apply for these licenses.
Some house illegal gaming machines. Although the state has a legal establishment, some players still find their way to illegal gaming machines. The Michigan Gaming Control Board has had enough.
The board recently seized and destroyed illegal gaming machines in a junkyard in Detroit. This followed after Michigan’s Attorney General completed the investigation and raided illegal gaming establishments.
What Are Illegal Gaming Machines?
According to Michigan gambling laws, gambling is illegal if the state’s gaming board does not regulate it. The gaming board does not regulate illegal gaming machines. These machines are also called skill machines.
The machines have increasingly become popular across the country. For instance, the Kentucky Senate voted to ban skill machines earlier this year. The official that proposed the bill called these machines gray machines.
How are these machines different from slot machines? Gray machines seek to match two symbols on the machine when the player pulls the level. Once two similar symbols appear on the machine, the player manually changes the third symbol to create a winning combination.
Legal machines should display three matching symbols when the level is pulled. The manufacturers of gray gaming machines skirt around the law by claiming these are skill machines. They insist that players must use skills to decide which symbol to change to create a winning combination.
This led to Representative Killian Timoney introducing House Bill 594. The bill passed in both houses, making gray machines illegal in Kentucky.
Illegal Machines Appear Legal
Unregulated gaming machines are often housed in legitimate businesses. You can find them in grocery stores, gas stations, and other licensed businesses. Considering these machines are in legal businesses, players assume they are legal, too.
These machines are not allowed to function in Michigan. To eliminate them, the state joined hands with the state’s gaming board and the Liquor Control Commission. They taught businesses and residents about illegal gaming machines.
Investigations and raids followed in businesses in the state. The mission has been a success. The police have seized over 1,500 illegal machines and around $470,000.
The Attorney General’s office still has several hundred gaming machines and other related equipment. The office cannot destroy them until criminal proceedings are complete.
These machines cannot be sold or reused. They must be destroyed.
Meanwhile, the public has been asked to report any illegal machine to the authorities. There is even a tipline that residents can use.
According to Henry Williams, there is danger in illegal gambling. The director of the Michigan Gaming Board said that unlawful gambling could lead to financial exploitation, organized crimes, and other social issues.
