PRINTER'S NO. 44
No. 35 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY TIGUE, RICHARDSON, BLAUM, CAWLEY, F. E. TAYLOR,
BELFANTI, BURNS, SALOOM, SERAFINI, OLASZ, CAPPABIANCA,
PETRARCA, DOMBROWSKI, STEVENS, COSLETT, CLARK, JAROLIN, FEE,
McMONAGLE, McCALL, DUFFY, TRELLO, GALLEN, KASUNIC, LETTERMAN,
LESCOVITZ, HASAY, DALEY, KUKOVICH, BUNT, TELEK AND COHEN,
JANUARY 26, 1983
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND COMMERCE,
JANUARY 26, 1983
AN ACT
1 Providing for the manufacture, assembly and sale of certain
2 mechanical, electronic and coin-operated gaming machines in
3 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Legislative purpose.
7 The General Assembly of Pennsylvania recognizes that the
8 number of persons unemployed in Pennsylvania is at or near an
9 all-time high. Pennsylvania has been losing jobs to other states
10 for a number of years. The General Assembly realizes that some
11 positive steps must be made in order to stimulate the economy
12 and halt this downward trend of unemployment. One positive step
13 concerns this legislation which would permit the manufacturing
14 of games of chance to be utilized in states where their use is
15 not prohibited by law. It is a well-known economic fact that an
16 increase in manufacturing has a beneficial effect on the total
1 economy of a state, to include stepped-up employment.
2 Section 2. Short title.
3 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Game
4 Manufacturing Law.
5 Section 3. Definitions.
6 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
7 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
8 context clearly indicates otherwise:
9 "Game machine." Any mechanical, electrical or other coin-
10 operated device, contrivance or machine which, upon insertion of
11 a coin or token therein or upon payment of any consideration
12 whatsoever, is available to play or operate with the opportunity
13 to win coins, tokens, cash, premiums, merchandise or anything of
14 value whatsoever, by application of the element of skill or
15 chance, or both. A slot machine shall be considered as such a
16 machine.
17 "Person." An individual, firm, partnership, company,
18 association or corporation.
19 Section 4. Qualifications.
20 (a) Making and distribution of machines.--It shall be lawful
21 for any person to engage in the manufacture, assembly and
22 distribution of all coin-operated game machines as provided for
23 in this act.
24 (b) Permitted sales.--It shall be lawful for any person
25 engaged in the manufacture, assembly or distribution of any game
26 machine to sell or offer to sell any game machine to any person,
27 for use in any state wherein the use of such a type of game
28 machine is not prohibited by law.
29 (c) Use of premises.--It shall be lawful for any person
30 being the owner, tenant, lessee or occupant of any premises to
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1 use the premises or to knowingly permit the premises to be used
2 for the manufacture, assembly and distribution of game machines
3 in accordance with the provisions of this act.
4 Section 5. Prohibitions.
5 It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in the
6 manufacture, assembly or distribution of game machines to sell
7 any slot machine for use in the Commonwealth unless otherwise
8 permitted by law.
9 Section 6. Penalties.
10 Any person who violates any provision of this act commits a
11 misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a
12 fine not exceeding $10,000 and costs of prosecution or undergo
13 imprisonment not exceeding 30 days, or both.
14 Section 7. Repeals.
15 (a) Specific repeal.--The provisions of 18 Pa.C.S. § 5513
16 (relating to gambling devices, gambling, etc.) are repealed to
17 the extent that they are inconsistent with this act.
18 (b) General repeal.--All other acts and parts of acts are
19 repealed insofar as they are inconsistent with this act.
20 Section 8. Effective date.
21 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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