Buying a slot machine
My question: can a private party purchase a used slot machine from a casino, or from some other source, and if so, how would one go about doing it?
LV craigslist.com shows a few are for sale, but none interest me: there's a couple slots in particular that I'd be interested in looking at if they were available at a reasonable cost.
I suspect there is probably some middleman somewhere that can broker this?
Quote: ORS 167.147
Possession of a gambling device
• defense
(1) A person commits the crime of possession of a gambling device if, with knowledge of the character thereof, the person manufactures, sells, transports, places or possesses, or conducts or negotiates a transaction affecting or designed to affect ownership, custody or use of:
(a) A slot machine; or
(b) Any other gambling device, believing that the device is to be used in promoting unlawful gambling activity.
(2) Possession of a gambling device is a Class A misdemeanor.
(3) It is a defense to a charge of possession of a gambling device if the slot machine or gambling device that caused the charge to be brought was manufactured:
(a) Prior to 1900 and is not operated for purposes of unlawful gambling; or
(b) More than 25 years before the date on which the charge was brought and:
(A) Is located in a private residence;
(B) Is not operated for the purposes of unlawful gambling; and
(C) Has permanently affixed to it by the manufacturer, the manufacturers name and either the date of manufacture or the serial number. [1971 c.743 §269; 1977 c.264 §1; 1983 c.403 §1; 1993 c.781 §1; 1995 c.577 §1]
https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/167.147
But if you're looking, I'd start here:
http://newlifegames.com/nlg/
The sponsors of that forum are listed in a block of banner ads in the middle of the home page, many of them are used slot game distributors.
Edit: also, if you're shipping a slot machine across state lines, federal law may come into play. I haven't looked that up but I'm pretty sure it's illegal with exceptions as opposed to generally lawful. That's why even in Nevada, manufacturers ship parts in and assemble in-state for in-state distribution.
Several websites offer used slot machines, but be careful about shipping gambling equipment across state lines or on federal property. Its not necessarily illegal and the sites are actually sources of good information since when I was looking several years ago the sites listed the chip information as well as the slot machine information and often shipped alternative chips sets as well.Quote: MrVI suspect there is probably some middleman somewhere that can broker this?
If you can't find out in advance which chip is installed, its safe to assume its a chip that meets the Nevada market since all slot manufacturers aim for the Nevada market and then merely "localize" their chips for other markets.
Slot machines to Mexico is a big business and also, I understand, to illegal clubs in Texas.
Machines from the Phillipines were routinely shipped to the USA but now there are problems.
Also, if you are in the UK you must still abide by the laws that make it illegal to posess anywhere in the UK any device that imitates the sound of a London Metropolitan Police whistle. Its still on the books and they DO enforce it to this day.
If you just want it for "decor" its probably best to buy a simulated machine that is full of chrome and dispenses jackpots at every pull. If you really want to explore the innards, its probably better to take a Junior College course as a Slot Technician. There are schools in Nevada, Mississippi and I believe Colorado that offer slot technician certificates.
Quote: California Penal Code section 330.7It shall be a defense to any prosecution under this chapter relating to slot machines, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 330b, if the defendant shows that the slot machine is an antique slot machine and was not operated for gambling purposes while in the defendant’s possession. For the purposes of this section, the term “antique slot machine” means a slot machine that is over 25 years of age.
You can narrow it down by your zip code.
I'm glad. Most of all, it is important to remember that ALL of Vegas is glad there is a difference between a black jack table in a basement rec room and one in the 'buzz' of a casino. Else every buyer of Thorp's book would have bankrupted the casinos in Vegas long, long ago.Quote: zippyboy....playing a slot at home is NOT the same as playing in a casino.
Quote: MrVCasinos often rotate new slots in the place of old ones.
My question: can a private party purchase a used slot machine from a casino, or from some other source, and if so, how would one go about doing it?
When I was at the Venetian they had a huge storage room full of about 1,000 slots they planned to sell to some casino in South America I think. They gave certain employees an opportunity to buy one or two for $500 each. So I ear-marked a couple of them for myself but I never heard anything about them since. I think somebody in charge of the sale didn't want to fuss with selling one and two here and there to employees and conveniently lost the ear-marks.
Personally I would go with an Oddesesy multi game slot, VP and BJ, keno. It was definitely the best on the market at the time. Great sounds, graphics and some special interactive features. Rub the fat monkeys belly and it will laugh. I think I seen them for under 1k. Depending on the software package they have lots of different slot and VP games including 4play VP.
I wont be getting one, just was thinking about one day and want to know more. A game king or something like that would be nice.Quote: AxelWolfWhat kind of slot machine are you looking to buy?
Personally I would go with an Oddesesy multi game slot, VP and BJ, keno. It was definitely the best on the market at the time. Great sounds, graphics and some special interactive features. Rub the fat monkeys belly and it will laugh. I think I seen them for under 1k. Depending on the software package they have lots of different slot and VP games including 4play VP.
Game King =Boring IMO. I guess there might be some value if one believes they can predict RNGs' and they believe in all that mumbo-jumbo. Then they could find a GK in a casino and do their thing (go broke).Quote: onenickelmiracleI wont be getting one, just was thinking about one day and want to know more. A game king or something like that would be nice.
I would like something a bit unique or collectable. I could not imagine I would ever sit at home and ply a slot for entertainment. It might be fun for guests and as conversation pice.
Quote: AxelWolfWhat kind of slot machine are you looking to buy?
Personally I would go with an Oddesesy multi game slot, VP and BJ, keno.
I did a little bit of work for the compsany that made the Odyesey machine back in the late 90's and I had one until I moved my office. It was too big and heavy to move so I gave it away to someone that was willing to move it. It was a mistake and I wish I kept it.
Quote: AxelWolfWhat kind of slot machine are you looking to buy?
I think one was a Game King and the other was an older slot machine, like Leopard Spots. Doesn't matter anymore.
Quote: AxelWolfGame King =Boring IMO. I guess there might be some value if one believes they can predict RNGs' and they believe in all that mumbo-jumbo. Then they could find a GK in a casino and do their thing (go broke).
I think it is the case that Kane discovered the GK double-up glitch on a home unit that he had.
I thought about that adding some value, but unless that was my intentions, I don't think I would buy a slot I was not really interested in just because I might find a glitch. How much value could that really add?Quote: Mission146I think it is the case that Kane discovered the GK double-up glitch on a home unit that he had.
I remember reading something about that(him owning an IGT GK) being a possibility, not sure if that's the case. Once it accidently happened did he then buy one for the purpose of trying to recreate it? That I could understand being a good move.
Most articles claim something like this. "It takes a lot of video poker play to stumble upon a bug like that. And Kane, according to his lawyer, played a lot of video poker. “He’s played more than anyone else in the United States,” claims Leavitt. “I’m not exaggerating or embellishing. … In one year he played 12 million dollars worth of video poker” and lost about a million, he says. “It’s an addiction.”
It was during one of his video poker binges that Kane discovered the bug. “He accidentally hit a button too soon, and presto,” says Leavitt, “It was a fluke. There was no research… Just playing.”
Either way, how did that turn out for them?(penniless )
One can rightfully argue he and his friend made lots of really dumb mistakes(like double claiming the same Jackpot, hitting Meadows and the same casinos for so much), and how they would have done it different. This is all after the fact and hearing how it all went down, including what IGT and the casinos knew or didn't know. They had no clue how long this would last, who else might know about it, who else might find out or how it would end. There might have been a sense of urgency.
I know how I think I would have done it, but sometimes there's nothing you can do to avoid being in the right place at the wrong time. Eventually something out of your control always goes wrong if you keep doing something like this. The question is how much can you save up before that time? It Never fails, Just when I think something is bound to last.....
Quote: AxelWolfI thought about that adding some value but unless that was my intentions I don't think I would buy a Slot I was not really interested in just because I might find a glitch. How much value could that possibly add?
I agree with you, my point was that some practical use did come out of it. I don't even think he bought it for the purpose of finding the glitch, I think he already had it before that. Like you said, typically it would just be a novelty for guests and a good conversation piece. If I were going to have anything at home in terms of a gambling device, it'd be a proper craps table. More interactive, and any guests I may have could play it together.
Quote:I remember reading something about that being a possibility, not sure if that's the case. Once it accidently happened did he then buy one for the purpose of trying to recreate it? That I could understand being a good move.
I think he already had one, and then used it to determine how to duplicate the glitch after it accidentally happened.
Quote:Either way, how did that turn out for them?(penniless )
Has it been reported that Kane returned the money before the charges against them were dropped? I thought that only Nestor (the one who was doing it at Meadows in Washington, PA) was actually reported to have returned the money.
Quote:One can rightfully argue he and his friend made lots of really dumb mistakes(like double claiming the same Jackpot, hitting Meadows and the same casinos for so much), and how thy would have done it different. This is all after the fact and hearing how it all went down, including what IGT and the casinos knew or didn't know. They had no clue how long this would last, who else might know about it, who else might find out or how it would end. There might have been a sense of urgency.
It's possible that you may be right as far as Kane is concerned, but Nestor definitely didn't pursue it in the most intelligent way. Kane taught Nestor how the whole thing worked and just wanted a cut of whatever Nestor did, given that it was Kane who discovered it. Nestor then decided there was no reason for him to cut Kane in anymore and so he started doing it himself. When Nestor was eventually caught at The Meadows, I believe Kane had already either been outright caught or was facing some serious heat, so he called Nestor and told him that the jig was up. Nestor believed instead that Kane was just jacked at him for flat out stealing the play and keeping all of the profits when there had previously been some sort of split going on Nestor's action.
Double claiming the same jackpot on the same unique hand was foolish, even if there had been a sense of urgency. Hitting a jackpot on the same precise hand (card positions) within a period of a half hour, or whatever it was? An experienced VP player like Kane, especially playing in a high-limit room, would have to understand, maybe not to the one-millionth of a percent or anything, but that the odds against that are extremely long.
I do agree that hindsight is 20/20, and everyone who is not Nestor or Kane is just Monday-morning quarterbacking this whole thing, but both of them definitely made some dumb mistakes and/or got too greedy.
Quote:I know how I think I would have done it, but sometimes there's nothing you can do to avoid being in the right place at the wrong time. Eventually something out of your control always goes wrong if you keep doing something like this. The question is how much can you save up before that time?
I know how I would have done it, too. It was on a particular GK unit, so you would have to go around and scout all of the casinos to find that specific type of unit. For my part, I'd take my action cross-country. I wouldn't hit any one casino for more than one jackpot in a month, maybe two, if the specific units weren't actually available at very many places, but it sounds like they were.
I owned a pinball machine business years ago.
When a few of my customers began asking me to install slot machines in their back rooms, I called my dealer.
He advised, "Don't do it. I can give you the address of a place in New Jersey that sells refurbished machines, but the FBI watches the place".
"When you leave with your machines, they will follow you, and the moment you cross into New York State, you will be arrested."
Quote: zippyboySomething else to think abut is this.....playing a slot at home is NOT the same as playing in a casino. Loses a lot of the allure when you have to fill the hopper with your own coins. What's the point of winning your own jackpot? Your friends might want to play with your money, but you'll have to let them know they can't keep any winnings, or they insert their own coins, and take away all the coins they win. Either way will likely strain the friendship. I say "coins" because the TITO system is newer than 25 years.
I clicked on this thread to basically say the same thing you just did. I agree, what a weird idea. You cannot win extra money since you are only getting your own money back. I guess the way one guy uses it is good. He says he uses it as an electronic, glorified, high tech piggy bank. That actually makes a lot of sense.
Quote: TankoI owned a pinball machine business years ago.
When a few of my customers began asking me to install slot machines in their back rooms, I called my dealer.
He advised, "Don't do it. I can give you the address of a place in New Jersey that sells refurbished machines, but the FBI watches the place".
"When you leave with your machines, they will follow you, and the moment you cross into New York State, you will be arrested."
Note that 15 USC 1178(2) specifically exempts pinball machines - with one possible exception: depending on the definition of the word "property," transporting pinball machines with a "match" feature may be illegal. The last time I played pinball machines in New York City (1995, IIRC), not only were matches turned off, but no machines rewarded replays - only extra balls. There is nothing new about this; there are a number of machines going back to the 1960s (if not earlier) that have both a "replay" version and an "add-a-ball" (i.e. extra ball) version, with the latter being used in jurisdictions where games with replays were considered illegal as it was felt that the machine owners would "buy back" the replays - i.e. it was a gambling machine (which, of course, is what is done with pretty much every "bingo pinball" machine; the one at the Pinball Hall of Fame on Tropicana is the rare exception).
Also note that some states appear to be exempt from the law, although I doubt New York is one of them.
Here is a link to the specific text of the law.
