By Gene Huntington, Administrator
Gambling Control Division
A forum on the future of video gambling machine technology will be held in Billings June 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the MSU-Billings Conference Center.
Everyone with an interest in this subject is encouraged to attend. It will be a chance for a subcommittee of the Gaming Advisory Council to hear from all segments of the gaming industry as the GAC sets out to develop long-term plans for the regulation of video gambling machines.
One of the issues that the Gambling Advisory Council was asked to address during the current biennium was the issue of impact printers in video gambling machines. The machines being manufactured for larger markets no longer require printers, and printers are become more difficult to get.
In addition, in recent months many gambling operators have become aware of the problems with bill acceptors caused by the introduction of a redesigned five-dollar bill.
On the surface printers and bill acceptors would appear to be only small technical issues, but they may be a symptom of a larger issue related to the way video gambling has developed in Montana.
Montana remains the only state that collects a tax on video gambling revenue whose machines are not connected to some type of central computer accounting system. The bar and small casino model of gambling that made the introduction of a central system (dial-up) such a technical and political challenge has also created a challenge for video gambling machine manufacturers for whom Montana is only a small part of the total market.
Montana has reached the point where a choice must be made between looking to connect video gambling machines to a computer or communications network, or a strategy to maintain a supply of free-standing video gambling machines. Connection to a system does not necessarily mean a statewide central system but could be a casino-based or route-based system.
The Gaming Advisory Council is seeking to develop long-term regulatory direction for the Gambling Control Division. Rep. Mark Blasdel, Garfield County Attorney Nick Murnion and public representative Mark Kennedy have been appointed to a committee to bring recommendations on this subject to the whole Gaming Advisory Council. The GAC hopes to fully develop recommendations on the future of video gambling machines over the next year.
As some machines get older and changes in technology render them obsolete, discussions between machine owners and regulators and other segments of the gambling industry can become divisive. The Gambling Advisory Council planning process will provide an opportunity for all sides to be heard and for all options to be evaluated.
The forum has been scheduled to begin at 10:00 A.M. The MSU-Billings Conference Center is located at 214 N. Broadway in Billings.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, May, 2008, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.