It's just a big mess."
The Tarrant County sheriff says his staff will begin hand-delivering letters today to about 70 eight-liner gaming parlors, telling the operators that they have 14 days to shut down the illegal machines.
In April, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that eight-liners that give cash or store certificates are illegal gambling devices, but many owners resisted the decision, saying they should be exempt because a portion of their profits was donated to charity.
Eight-liner proponents had hoped the Legislature would revise the law in their favor, but lawmakers adjourned without doing so.
Eight-liners are similar to slot machines in that players win prizes if three icons match vertically, horizontally or diagonally. The state's high court unanimously ruled that the machines are illegal gaming devices if their operators reward winners with cash or credit to continue playing.
Sheriff's officers will deliver warning letters in unincorporated parts of the county along Texas 199 north of Lake Worth and in the southern part of the county, Anderson said. In addition to being illegal, eight-liners attract criminals, Anderson said.
Still, some organizations say contributions from eight-liner parlors make a significant difference to them. For example, since January, the Eagle Mountain Lake Volunteer Fire Department has received $18,000 from three gaming parlors that operate eight-liners in the sheriff's targeted area, Fire Chief Mike Barton said.
"It's a big shot in the arm for volunteer departments," Barton said. "It keeps our heads above water. It helps us purchase big-ticket items we can't spend our [budget] money on. It helps improve our operations out here."
Rita Jackel, manager of Big Daddy's gaming parlor off U.S. 377, also lamented the sheriff's decision.
"We donate quite a bit to charity," she said. "They're going to be hurting a lot of people. I wish people would go to the charities and see how much it helps them."
Jackel and others say the eight-liner parlors provide cheap, benign entertainment for families and retired people.
Some eight-liner parlors, such as Becki's Game Room on Crowley Road, are operated solely for profit. Troy Baccus said he had owned the parlor for six years but knew it would eventually be closed.
"It's been a very lucrative business," Baccus said. "It was just one of those things we accidentally got into.
"I'm not sure gambling is all that bad of a deal, but I'm not sure this is the way it should be done. They're all set up differently. It's just a big mess."
http://pokermag.com/managearticle.asp?c=150&a=4895
The Tarrant County sheriff says his staff will begin hand-delivering letters today to about 70 eight-liner gaming parlors, telling the operators that they have 14 days to shut down the illegal machines.
In April, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that eight-liners that give cash or store certificates are illegal gambling devices, but many owners resisted the decision, saying they should be exempt because a portion of their profits was donated to charity.
Eight-liner proponents had hoped the Legislature would revise the law in their favor, but lawmakers adjourned without doing so.
Eight-liners are similar to slot machines in that players win prizes if three icons match vertically, horizontally or diagonally. The state's high court unanimously ruled that the machines are illegal gaming devices if their operators reward winners with cash or credit to continue playing.
Sheriff's officers will deliver warning letters in unincorporated parts of the county along Texas 199 north of Lake Worth and in the southern part of the county, Anderson said. In addition to being illegal, eight-liners attract criminals, Anderson said.
Still, some organizations say contributions from eight-liner parlors make a significant difference to them. For example, since January, the Eagle Mountain Lake Volunteer Fire Department has received $18,000 from three gaming parlors that operate eight-liners in the sheriff's targeted area, Fire Chief Mike Barton said.
"It's a big shot in the arm for volunteer departments," Barton said. "It keeps our heads above water. It helps us purchase big-ticket items we can't spend our [budget] money on. It helps improve our operations out here."
Rita Jackel, manager of Big Daddy's gaming parlor off U.S. 377, also lamented the sheriff's decision.
"We donate quite a bit to charity," she said. "They're going to be hurting a lot of people. I wish people would go to the charities and see how much it helps them."
Jackel and others say the eight-liner parlors provide cheap, benign entertainment for families and retired people.
Some eight-liner parlors, such as Becki's Game Room on Crowley Road, are operated solely for profit. Troy Baccus said he had owned the parlor for six years but knew it would eventually be closed.
"It's been a very lucrative business," Baccus said. "It was just one of those things we accidentally got into.
"I'm not sure gambling is all that bad of a deal, but I'm not sure this is the way it should be done. They're all set up differently. It's just a big mess."
http://pokermag.com/managearticle.asp?c=150&a=4895
