with-it
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010 4:01:41 AM

The way this thing reads it could be applied to Carnvial games as well as the psuedo-casinos it is designed for. It depends on who interpets the law. As if the Dept of Ag needs one more thing for the inspectors to be inconsistant about or some local cop to go on a crusade against Carnival games becauae a prize is worth more then $10. The $10 Limit does not say "Cash" limit. I'm going just off what the artical says without seeing the actual law so I might be wrong.for those who don't know Ohio Fair Games are licenced as "Games of Skill" and sold a yearly licence for $70 so you can work Ohio County Fairs. This law might be why I have'nt seen any nice prizes in the stacker games in front of wally world lately. What's your guys take on it?


Ohio Supreme Court upholds payout limit on skill games
Tuesday, October 12, 2010 10:32 AM
By Darrel Rowland

The Columbus Dispatch

Fred Squillante | Dispatch
Tic Tac Fruit games at a Buckeye Lake arcade in 2006A $10 limit on the payout of so-called games of skill was unanimously upheld today by the Ohio Supreme Court, reversing a lower court.

The justices deemed that the prize ceiling serves as legitimate government purpose.

"The operation of skill-based amusement machines is a valid statewide industry in Ohio, and the state has a legitimate interest in establishing economic regulations for the industry, including regulating the prizes that may be awarded," wrote Justice Maureen O'Connor for the court.

The October 2007 law was challenged by Pickaway County Skilled Gaming LLC and Stephen S. Cline, which own and operate Spinners, a Circleville arcade. They lost in Franklin County Common Pleas Court but won with the Franklin County Court of Appeals, which deemed the $10 cap unconstitutional because it violated the equal protection clauses of both the Ohio and U.S. Constitution.

But the high court deemed otherwise.

"First, the ten-dollar prize-value limit ... is a regulation that is part of the state's scheme to protect its local economies. The statute is calculated to further the state's interest by eliminating the lure of big prizes and thus minimizing irresponsible play while providing a legal safe harbor for harmless games (e.g., Skee-ball) that award token prizes," O'Connor wrote.

"The prize-value limit is also rationally related to the government's interest in preventing criminal acts and enterprises by acting as a prophylactic measure against illegal, chance-based gambling. Motivated by financial gain, operators of illegal chance-based amusement machines can easily alter games of chance to appear to be games of skill. Financial motivation may come from charging more to play illegal games of chance or from individuals who overspend in hopes of winning big prizes.

"...(T)he ten dollar prize-value limit is designed to eliminate the latter motivation. Furthermore, it stands to reason that players will not pay the same fee to play games that award a ten dollar prize as they would to play games that offer higher value prizes. By limiting the potential prizes awarded by skill-based amusement machines, (the law) effectively limits the fee that operators can charge to play the games. Thus, the prize-value limit effectively removes the financial incentive for operators to disguise illegal chance-based machines as skill-based games."

The case was sent back to the appeals court for consideration of two other instances of alleged error in the Common Pleas ruling.

O'Connor's opinion was joined by Justices Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Terrence O'Donnell, Judith Ann Lanzinger and Robert R. Cupp, and by Judge Vernon L. Preston of the 3rd District Court of Appeals, who sat in place of Chief Justice Eric Brown. Justice Paul E. Pfeifer concurred in judgment only.

john777
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010 4:18:15 AM
i have only played a few festivals in ohio in my life but it sounds like a good state to stay away from.
does this this law apply to festivals or just fairs
i dont remember any game inspection at the festivals i have played in the past.
with it and all for it
john 777

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jackpot59102
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 6:15:03 AM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by john777

i have only played a few festivals in ohio in my life but it sounds like a good state to stay away from.
does this this law apply to festivals or just fairs
i dont remember any game inspection at the festivals i have played in the past.



In Ohio its only if you play any of the County Fairs you have to purchase a license, be inspected, & go by a set of rules. Any other events you can do what you want.
Bowler Roller
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 7:22:21 AM
How did they come up with the arbitrary $10 amount?
Every crowd has a silver lining - PT Barnum
Pinetar
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:19:05 PM
With-it has a good point, a nasty local LEO, could interpret that anyway he wants. Hopefully it is spelled out for arcade machines only.
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john777
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010 12:52:25 PM
i have always stayed away from fairs in ohio but i have played a few festivals only in the bigger cities.
i'll have to remember to keep the stock less than a sawbuck[;)]
with it and all for it
john 777

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johnroach100
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 4:59:53 PM
In Georgia the limit is $5 value per game played but you can combine winnings. For example, you can win three $5 tickets if you play four games, but if you get enough points for four tickets on two games you have to play at least two more to receive the tickets. You can then redeem the tickets for merchandise or gift cards. This is part of the effort to legalize Cherry games.

Coasterville
Sunday, October 31, 2010 8:10:18 AM
Bumping this to add my observations last night.

Last night I was at Kings Island amusement park in Ohio.

The prize cap does NOT appear to affect the traditional joints, just the coin op "Skill for Prize" type machines.

This park has numerous "Stacker" and "Lighthouse" games scattered throughout the park. Up to now, they offered such prizes as portable video game systems, popular video games, DVDs, iPods, cell phones, zippo lighters. In other words, some really nice stuff.

As of yesterday, all these prizes have been removed from those machines and replaced with a package of 1,000 redemption tickets for the arcade, which have a stated value of, you guessed it, $10 in trade.

Other "Skill for Prize" machines sat empty with "Out of Order" signs on them. Makes you wonder if they were really out of order, or are they just waiting till the end of the season to yank them.
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