Are Slot Machines Legal In Illinois

A man plays a video slot machine in a lounge at Huck’s, a truck stop in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Under Illinois’ new gambling expansion, bars, restaurants, fraternal organizations and gambling. Slot machines inside a lounge at Huck's, a truck stop in Mount Vernon, Ill., on Sept. More than 30,000 video gambling machines operate outside of Illinois casinos, often in bars, restaurants, and truck stops. (Whitney Curtis, special to ProPublica Illinois).

The slot machine laws in Illinois are especially important because there are all the mechanical or electronic pieces working in the background are hiding payout percentages from the player and the amount they payout is configurable to fit the slot regulations as well as the casino’s bottom line.

The slots machine laws in Illinois for a brick and mortar casino are in place to protect the player as well assure the government that they get their fair share of the tax revenue. Online casinos are not nearly as regulated, however, most online casinos voluntarily regulate them similarly to brick and mortar casinos and some go a step farther.

What Are These Laws?

While individual areas of the world differ in their casino slots regulations, what is actually regulated is fairly consistent. For example, most locales with casino gaming will regulate the payout percentages that the slot machine must pay out. These slot regulations can include a simple average payout over time percentage or be more specific. For slot machines with progressive bonuses, there may be regulations in place for both the average payout for regular play as well as slot machine laws in Illinois revolving around the progressive slot portion as well. Some regulations for slot machines in some areas regulate the frequency of “hits” on the machine as well, especially for five reel video slot machines with bonus features. What these regulations serve to do is ensure that players get a fair chance to win, all while assuring the casino makes money.

How Profits Are Made?

The other purpose of slots regulations is to allow the entities which tax a brick and mortar casino to assess a tax basis based on the amount coming into the machine, rather than figure out how much profit was made on the machine. By having a set amount or a range which the slot machine must pay out, the taxing bodies can easily assess the tax based on the income for the machine because they know what it should be paying out, on average. The regulations themselves for online casinos are much less strict, however, in the interest of fairness’ most online casinos make a point to let customers know that they are fair with their gaming. There are a couple companies that certify online casinos to let customers and potential customers know that the gaming is fair.

The other advantage for online slot machine laws in Illinois players is that they can often play for fun, giving the machine a few hundred spins to gauge payouts and hits on their own before switching to real money play. Some of the countries which online casinos operate out of do regulate and tax the online casinos while others do not’ however, most online casinos will be fair with their slot machines simply to stay competitive.

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Video Slots In Illinois

You can find as many objects to collect as you can find collectors, but some of the most interesting collectibles are slot machines. You can buy them used, but the legality of owning a gambling machine varies from state to state. This page takes a look at some of the issues involved in buying a used slot machine to start or expand a collection of your own.

Where Do You Live?

Illinois Slot Machine Games

The first thing you should understand is that no matter where you live, if you’re using a slot machine to offer gambling to other people, you need a license. In some states, gambling is completely prohibited. Chances are you’re an individual collector and don’t have a gambling license, so don’t let people gamble on your games unless you have a high risk tolerance for illegal behavior.

In some states, even collectors aren’t allowed to own a used slot machine. These states include Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Ownership of slot machines, used or otherwise, is illegal in those states.

Other states have no legal restrictions on slot machine ownership as long as you’re not using them to run a gambling business. These states include: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The other states have specific guidelines based on the age of the machine. For example, in California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming, it’s legal to own a slot machine as long as it’s at least 25 years old. Other states have higher or lower age limits—in Florida you can own a slot machine as long as it’s 20 years or older, but in Massachusetts, it has to be at least 30 years old. And still other states base it on what year the machine was built; in Illinois and Iowa, for example, it’s only legal to own slot machines that were constructed before 1950.

To the best of my knowledge, this information is complete and accurate, but before buying your own used coin-op slot machine, you should check with local legal authorities to make sure you have the most up to date information. You should always obey the laws in whatever jurisdiction you reside.

Are slot machines legal in illinois

What Kind of Dealer Are You Dealing With?

Illinois Slot Machine Percentages

You’ll find plenty of people selling used slot machines on the Internet. Many of these are third-party sellers. That means they don’t offer slot machines directly; instead, they just take your order and then buy the slot machine from someone else and have it shipped to you. You’ll often notice that these third party dealers use stock images or pictures that were stolen from direct dealers’ websites.

It’s better to deal with a direct dealer when you can. These dealers will often offer a warranty on the machines they sell. They’ll also be able to help you over the phone if you’re having a problem operating your game. Third party dealers aren’t able to offer you this level of service.

One way to be sure you’re dealing with an actual dealer instead of a third party is to ask them if you’re able to visit their showroom or warehouse. Third party dealers, for obvious reasons, don’t have showrooms or warehouses.

What Kinds of Used Slot Machines CAN I Buy?

Most dealers offer reconditioned machines that have been retired from use in Las Vegas style casinos. Many of these are the same IGT (International Game Technology) manufactured games that you’re used to seeing in the casino, only older and more primitive. Most dealers also provide replacement parts and repair services.

Illinois Slot Machines Locations

One thing to look for when considering buying a machine from a dealer is whether or not they use real glass or plexiglass. Real glass is superior as plexiglass fades over time. You can expect to pay a little more for a machine with real glass, but it’s worth the extra cost. If you’ve ever seen a faded plexiglass screen on a used slot machine, you’ll know what I mean.

Many of these games can be set up to enjoy on “free play” mode. You don’t have to insert any kind of money in order to play these games. You can even modify these games to pay out tickets.

Examples of some of the popular and well-known games available for sale on the Internet include titles like Cleopatra, Double Diamond, Munsters, Red, White, and Blue, Sizzling Senves, Tabasca, Texas Tea, and Wild Cherry slots. Many other titles are available besides these, but you’ll recognize a lot of these brand names as still being available (albeit in newer models) in casinos today.

How Much Should I Spend?

Used slot machines are collectibles, and they’re priced accordingly. Shipping is usually going to be expensive, too. You can probably expect to pay at least $600 for a good machine and $200 for shipping. Video slots will cost twice that or more, and you’ll sometimes have the option of upgrading to a new LCD monitor when buying a video slot machine. Those are expensive, too–$400 or $500.

Other upgrades you can pay for include stereo sound packages, coin in coin out functionality, and/or backlit reels (on mechanical or electro-mechanical machines). These upgrades generally cost between $100 and $200 each.

Of course, these prices apply to relatively newer slot machines. Older antique slot machines can cost more or less. I’ve seen slot machines from the 1930s and 1940s that were beautifully refurbished for sale for as little as $325. Some of these older machines are barely recognizable as slot machines, but they make beautiful, conversation-worthy collections.

Conclusion

Buying a used slot machine can be a fun way to start a new hobby of collecting gaming machines, but do some research first. You want to make sure that it’s legal to do so before you get started. You also need to do some research into dealers before spending any money. Avoid third-party dealers, and find a direct dealer with a warehouse who offers warranties and telephone customer support.