Slot machines and video lottery machines are often identical in nature. The only difference in most states is where the type of device is located. The exact definition requires the associated state law.
Differences Between Video Lottery State Laws
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There are eight states with legal video lottery. Those are Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, New York, Oregon, South Dakota and West Virginia. Seven of those states permit cash payouts on video lottery. Georgia is the exception. Delaware and New York require video lottery to be played only at the state’s race tracks. The others permit it in bars and/or gas stations. Georgia and West Virginia do not permit advertisement of the on-premises gambling.
How Much Can I Bet and Win on a Video Lottery Machine?
The maximum bet is typically $2 on these machines. The exceptions are Delaware and New York because these devices are located in traditional casinos located at the state’s racetracks. There is no limit there.
The maximum individual win is $500 in Illinois, $600 in Oregon, $800 in Montana and $1,000 in South Dakota. West Virginia leaves this to the operator, although most cap it at $1,200. Georgia video lottery machines only print vouchers for merchandise and have no maximum bet or win.
The answer is yes, except in Georgia. Players in that state may only win gift cards, merchandise, gasoline or lottery tickets. Alcohol and tobacco may not be purchased with video lottery winnings in Georgia.
The video lottery machine itself does not pay cash or coins, even in states where payouts are legal. Each device prints a ticket. The player gives it to an employee of the establishment that pays the winner in cash, where permitted. Otherwise, the player wins a gift card or merchandise.
Randomness of Slot Machines versus Video Lottery Games
Many states require that video lottery machines produce random results. This means that a video poker game uses a random number generator and is not purely luck-based when using cards. Slot symbols must also line up as they would in a casino. The same goes for keno numbers. In fact, the only difference most players will notice between video lottery machines and devices found in real casinos is the percentage returned to the player.
Georgia is one exception. Georgia has no commission to enforce fair games. The owners of the machines can set the payout to whatever they would like. Some reports imply that returns are as low as 80% at some locations. Louisiana is another state with video lottery that offers machines that are not studied to determine randomness.
Video Lottery Typical Payouts
Most video lottery terminals return 90-98%. The cap in South Dakota is 92%. Louisiana permits returns up to 94%. Oregon machines pay up to 96%. Players have reported games as high as 98% in Illinois. Delaware and New York video lottery machines may pay up to 100%.
Video lottery terminals typically spread video poker, keno, and slot machines. Georgia is the exception. That state only permits skill-based slots. Video poker and keno for money are explicitly illegal under law.
Georgia players must make a move after the original slot symbols are dealt. The bettor must choose the correct setting, if there is one, to win. If the player chooses the wrong move, the hand is a loss. The winning move is obvious in most cases. There are bonus rounds where the player’s input changes the outcome. The skill element of these rounds is debatable.
Why Would Someone Play a Video Lottery Machine?
Convenience is the most common reason for playing video lottery terminals. These games are often located in bars in Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, Oregon, West Virginia and South Dakota. Gas stations can often spread these games if alcohol is sold. Georgia permits virtually any business to spread video lottery machines as long as it sells lottery tickets. That means that many people live right around the corner from a video lottery casino.
Drawbacks to Playing Video Lottery Machines
The biggest problem with playing video lottery machines is the low payouts. Games often return around 90%. Games with skill involved may return slightly more, however, the games may be unusual and require a different skill set than a normal video poker game. The maximum payout can also hurt player returns. Never bet more than the amount that returns the highest win permitted by law. Many machines will permit the player to bet more coins without increasing the payout for big keno jackpots or a royal flush.
Avoid Video Lottery Terminals
Some people get bored and simply want to gamble. In most cases, it is better to take the extra drive to the casino as opposed to playing video lottery games in a bar or gas station. The returns can be as high as 10 percentage points better in the casino compared to the video lottery machines. At a $1 bet, that is $.10 a hand. The difference is $60 in theoretical losses per hour when choosing video lottery over a casino.
If you must play video lottery, only wager the minimum bet. There is rarely, if ever, a higher return-to-player between denominations on video lottery machines. On the other hand, casino slots and video poker often reward playing maximum coins and higher denominations with better overall returns.
State Laws for legal Slot Machine Ownership
GAMBLING DEVICE. You must understand that using a slot machine for profit or gambling purposes is illegal and could subject you to severe penalties. Before purchasing a slot machine you must understand that every state does not allow ownership of these machines. However, we suggest that you check with your local authorities. We assume no responsibility for errors.
Pachislo machines are also know as Skill Stop, or Japanese Slot Machines. You may see that some people will advertise these as being authentic slot machines and might even state ‘Like used in Vegas’. This is not the case though it is possible to set these machines up to accept US coins, they are designed to accept tokens. The listing indicates which states these Pachislo machines are legal to operate.
New Information: We believe there is a concern over the legalities of these Pachislo machines in the States of Colorado, California, Washington, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota and Oregon
ALABAMA Any Machine PROHIBITED
ALASKA Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
ARIZONA Any Machine LEGAL–Pachislo OK
ARKANSAS Any Machine LEGAL, Registration Required.–Pachislo OK
CALIFORNIA 25 Years or Older or Slot Business Reg. W/DOJ
COLORADO Introduced pre-1984 or Slot Business Reg. W/DOJ
CONNECTICUT Any Machine PROHIBITED
DELAWARE 25 Years or Older–Pachislo OK
FLORIDA 20 Yrs. or Older or Slot Bus. Reg. W/DOJ –Pachislo OK
GEORGIA Pre – 1950
HAWAII Any Machine PROHIBITED — Pachislo OK
IDAHO Pre – 1950 — Pachislo OK
ILLINOIS 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
INDIANA 40 Years or older — Pachislo OK (Law changed in 2012 to allow possession IC 35-45-5-3.5 Version a)
IOWA 25 Years or Older
KANSAS Pre – 1950– Pachislo OK
KENTUCKY Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
LOUISIANA 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
MAINE Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
MARYLAND 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
MASSACHUSETTS 30 Years or Older. Poker machines & Video gaming devices of any age are legal for personal use.– Pachislo OK
MICHIGAN 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
MINNESOTA Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
MISSISSIPPI 25 Years or Older
MISSOURI 30 Years or Older
MONTANA 25 Years or Older. Machines are not allowed to be on public premises for sale or display.
NEBRASKA Any Machine PROHIBITED
NEW HAMPSHIRE 25 Years or Older
NEW JERSEY 30 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
NEW MEXICO: We received a letter from the Gaming Control Board of New Mexico stating the following; The only gambling device that my be possessed without a license from the board is a bona fide antique device. An antique gambling device is a gambling device that is at least 25 years old, is substantially in original condition, and is not used for gambling or located in a gambling place. It is illegal to possess gambling devices otherwise, in New Mexico unless you are a distributor, manufacturer or operator licensed by the board. “This letter was dated August 2, 2000”.
NEW YORK 30 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
NEVADA Any Machine LEGAL. — Pachislo OK
NORTH CAROLINA 25 Years or Older
NORTH DAKOTA 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
OHIO Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
OKLAHOMA 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
Illegal Slot Machines Georgia Hand Count Result
OREGON 25 Years or Older — Pachislo OK only if the Pachislo machine is over 25 years old
PENNSYLVANIA Pre – 1941– Pachislo OK
RHODE ISLAND Any Machine LEGAL
SOUTH CAROLINA Any Machine PROHIBITED
SOUTH DAKOTA Pre – 1941
TENNESSEEAny Machine PROHIBITED– Pachislo OK
TEXAS Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
UTAH Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
VERMONT Pre – 1954
VIRGINIA Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
WASHINGTON 25 Years or Older– Pachislo OK
WASHINGTON D.C. Pre – 1952
WEST VIRGINIA Any Machine LEGAL– Pachislo OK
Illegal Slot Machines Georgia Hand Counting
WISCONSIN 25 Years or Older
WYOMING 25 Years or Older