Disclaimer
Please note that this article is not legal advice. It's for entertainment and educational purposes only, and the information on it is up to date to the best of my knowledge at this time. Laws and their enforcement change constantly, so seek actual legal advice if you have a real concern.
USA Slot Machine Ownership Regulations
Since I started studying slot machines in depth for this website, I learned that owning a slot machine is not legal in some places, legal in some other places, and legal with some restrictions in still other places. I don't know anything about international laws regarding slot machine ownership, but I have found some information regarding the legalities of ownership here in the USA, and I share that information here.
States Where You Cannot Legally Own a Slot Machine
The following states have laws that completely prohibit slot machine ownership:
- Alabama
- Arkansa
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Indiana
- Nebraska
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Wisconsin
States Where You CAN Legally Own a Slot Machine
The following states have no laws barring slot machine ownership. (Keep in mind that their might be city or county ordinances regarding the issue though.)
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Kentucky
- Main
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Rhode Island
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- West Virginia
The Other States
All the other states allow slot machine ownership IF the slots are past a certain age. 25 years or older is the most common line that is drawn age-wise, but it does vary from state to state. A hand full of states also restrict it by year, rather than age of slots. I've included a list along with age requirements below:
- Colorado - Slot Machines pre-1984 are okay.
- Vermont - Pre-1954
- Washington DC - Pre-1952
- Georgia - Pre-1950
- Idaho - Pre-1950
- Kansas - Pre-1950
- New Jersey - Pre-1941
- Pennsylvania - Pre-1941
20 Years or Older Slot Machines Are Okay to Own in Florida
25 Years or Older Slot Machines Are Okay to Own in the Following States
- California
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Delaware
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Washington
- Wyoming
30 Years or Older Slot Machines Are Okay to Own in the Following States
- Massachusetts
- Missouri
- New York
Buying a Slot Machine of Your Own
If you're interested in becoming a slot machine collector, or if you just think it would be cool to have your own slot machine, I recommend checking out some of the following slot machine dealers online. (Check eBay too.)
A Final Note
It seems absurd to me that in the land of the free, we're not allowed to own a slot machine in our own home, and that such a thing is so heavily regulated. I suppose they're trying to prevent people from running casinos out of their garages? Must make it hard to be a slot machine collector if you live in certain states.
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