Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1020 – Registration of slot machines
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1. Registration required. A slot machine may not be operated or distributed pursuant to this chapter unless the slot machine is registered by the board, the slot machine operator is licensed by the board and each slot machine distributor or gambling services vendor that distributed the slot machine or the slot machine’s associated equipment is licensed by the board or the slot machine is distributed to and operated by an accredited postsecondary institution for the purposes of training and education under section 1011, subsection 1?B.
[PL 2019, c. 614, §3 (AMD).]
Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1020
- Associated equipment: means any mechanical, electromechanical or electronic component part or machine that is used, or intended for use, in a slot machine or table game and that affects the outcome of the game or that is involved in the handling of money, tokens, credits or similar objects or things of value used to play a slot machine or table game or the calculation of or distribution of payoffs of the slot machine or table game. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Board: means the Gambling Control Board established under section 1002. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Casino: means a facility licensed in accordance with this chapter, where gambling activities occur, including, but not limited to, the operation of slot machines and table games. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Casino operator: means a person who is licensed under this chapter to operate a casino. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Department: means the Department of Public Safety. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Gambling services: means any goods or services provided to an operator licensed under this chapter or at a gambling facility that are used directly in connection with the operation of a slot machine or table game, including, but not limited to, associated equipment, maintenance, security services or junket services, and excluding slot machine or table game distribution by a slot machine distributor or table game distributor. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Gambling services vendor: means a person who is licensed under this chapter to provide gambling services. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Net slot machine income: means money, tokens, credits or similar objects or things of value used to play a slot machine minus money, credits or prizes paid out to winners and amounts paid pursuant to section 1036, subsection 1. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Operate: means to offer for use. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Payback percentage: means the percentage of the total value of money or tokens, credits or similar objects or things of value used to play a slot machine that is returned to players of that slot machine as winnings, prizes or credits. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Person: means an individual or a business organization. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Registration: means an approval or board action that authorizes a company to be a holding company of a company that holds or applies for a slot machine operator license, a casino operator license, a slot machine distributor license or a table game distributor license or of other persons required to be licensed under this chapter. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Slot machine: means any mechanical, electrical or electronic device, contrivance or machine or other device, contrivance or machine that is available to play upon insertion of money or a token, credit or similar object or thing of value, the play of which by the element of chance may deliver or entitle the person playing the device, contrivance or machine to receive cash, tokens or credits to be exchanged for cash, merchandise or anything of value, whether the payoff is made automatically from the device, contrivance or machine or in any other manner, and includes progressive electronic gaming devices with a payoff that increases as the electronic gaming device is played. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Slot machine distributor: means a person who is licensed under this chapter to distribute slot machines and associated equipment for use in the State. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Slot machine facility: means a facility, not including a casino, at which a slot machine operator operates slot machines. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
- Slot machine operator: means a person, not including a casino operator, who is licensed under this chapter to operate slot machines and associated equipment in the State. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 8 Sec. 1001
2. Requirements for registration. To be registered, a slot machine:
A. May not have any means of manipulation that affect the random probabilities of winning a game; [PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).]
B. Must have one or more mechanisms that accept money or tokens, credits or similar objects or things of value and that are designed to prevent a person from obtaining credits or cash without paying; [PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).]
C. Must be designed to suspend operation until reset if a person attempts, by physical or other tampering, to obtain credits or cash without paying; [PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).]
D. [PL 2013, c. 212, §23 (RP).]
E. Must have accounting software that keeps an electronic record of information that includes, but is not limited to, total cash inserted into the slot machine; total cash awarded, total credits played for games and total credits distributed by tickets issued by the slot machine; and the payback percentage of each game; [PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).]
F. Must have technology compatible with the central site monitoring system used by the board; [PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).]
G. Must have a minimum average daily aggregate payback percentage of 89% computed for all slot machines operated at each slot machine facility or casino on a quarterly basis; and [PL 2013, c. 212, §24 (AMD).]
H. Must have, in addition to the requirements of paragraphs A to G, other such characteristics as the board may establish by rule. [PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).]
[PL 2013, c. 212, §§23, 24 (AMD).]
3. Limits on total slot machines. The board shall determine the number of slot machines to be registered in the State. The board shall make this determination based upon the minimum net slot machine income, when distributed pursuant to section 1036, necessary to maintain the harness horse racing industry in this State, except that:
A. Except for slot machines used for training and educational purposes at postsecondary institutions as provided by section 1011, subsection 1?B, the total number of slot machines registered in the State may not exceed 3,000; and [PL 2011, c. 585, §8 (AMD).]
B. A slot machine operator may not operate more than 1,500 slot machines at any one commercial track and a casino operator may not operate more than 1,500 slot machines at a casino. [IB 2009, c. 2, §37 (AMD).]
[PL 2011, c. 585, §8 (AMD).]
4. Examination of slot machines and associated equipment. The board shall, in cooperation with the department, examine slot machines and slot machine associated equipment of slot machine distributors and gambling services vendors seeking registration as required in this chapter. The board shall require the slot machine distributor or gambling services vendor seeking examination and approval of the slot machine or slot machine associated equipment to pay the anticipated cost of the examination before the examination occurs. After the examination occurs, the board shall refund overpayments or charge and collect amounts sufficient to reimburse the board for underpayments of actual cost. The board may contract for the examinations of slot machines and slot machine associated equipment as required by this section.
[PL 2019, c. 614, §4 (AMD).]
5. Unregistered or noncompliant slot machine subject to confiscation. A slot machine that is not registered as required by this section or that does not comply with the requirements of this chapter or rules adopted under this chapter is contraband and a public nuisance and the slot machine and the slot machine’s monetary contents, monetary proceeds and associated equipment are subject to confiscation by any law enforcement officer. Slot machines and any monetary contents, monetary proceeds and associated equipment confiscated pursuant to this section are subject to forfeiture in accordance with the procedures outlined in Title 17?A, section 959 or 960.
[PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2003, c. 687, §A5 (NEW). PL 2003, c. 687, §B11 (AFF). PL 2005, c. 663, §9 (AMD). IB 2009, c. 2, §37 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 585, §§7, 8 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 212, §§23, 24 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 614, §§3, 4 (AMD).