[ Home ]

[ Slots News ]

Slots Already Present in MA, If You Know Where To Look

The state legislature is in the midst of all kinds of strum und drang over the topic of bringing slot machines into Massachusetts. The controversial gambling devices could represent a significant source of new revenue for the cash-starved Bay State, but there are problems with all the different plans for slot implementation proposed so far. While lawmakers are quibbling over warehouse-style slot parlors versus lavish luxury casinos and going to town over details such as licensing fees, some enterprising individuals in the state have already, very quietly, started indulging in a chunk of the slot machine pie.

A daily newspaper in the Cape Cod region reported recently on the prevalence of slot machines being housed in convenience stores and gas stations. These terminals exist under the radar of state officials, known only by word-of-mouth or to lucky visitors who happen upon the machines on their way to the restroom, perhaps. It was reported that, in Yarmouth, a reporter didn’t have any clue that there was a pokey in the building until he recognized the familiar sound of a slot game paying out.

The operations of these gambling devices is wily, and operators make every effort to exploit loopholes in state slot machine law. Players insert money into the terminal and play as normal. Should they win, they will receive a telephone card worth the value of their winnings. As far as authorities go, that’s the end of the story. What isn’t explicitly mentioned is the fact that players are able to sell their card back to the store and receive cash instead.

Back to March 2009 Archive.