- Image by davidz via Flickr
In many states slot machines are legal as long as there are no cash payouts. Unfortunately, some businesses find this to be a hard rule to follow. In that case, slot machine ownership becomes a tricky business. It can very quickly put a good business owner is some very hot water.
Slot machines can offer great recreation in bars, restaurants, and even some convenience stores. It’s rare to walk into a small business that owns a few of these machines and see them sitting idle. People love to gamble, even if they only win gift cards or non-cash value items. There’s just something about human nature that likes to take a chance. If that chance is inexpensive, many people might sit at a slot machine and spend as much money in one day as they would in Las Vegas.
Slot machines are really pretty mindless when it comes to strategy, so it’s easy for people to become hypnotized by the game and the chance to win anything at all. Since these machines are designed to enhance the core business of the place that owns them, the machines become marketing draws. If the word gets out that one set of machines pays out better than others, that’s where the people will go, and that means more customers for the business owner.
The problem lies in the business owner’s desire to be the best place to play. It’s not unusual for these greedy business owners to start trading cash for gifts, and then simply put the gift back into play. Sometimes slot machines pay out with tickets. The winner takes the tickets to the business owner and trades them for cash instead of the gift card. Once gamblers find out they can get cash at that business, they’ll start going there.
Everything is great until law enforcement gets wind of the scam… and they will! Then the business will suffer a crushing demise.
