Californian Party Accessories Supply Company Suspected of Renting Illegal Slot Machines
According to officials with California's Justice Department, Stephen Squires, owner of a San Carlos company that rents party accessories, is suspected of having illegally supplied antique slot machines for a fund-raising event. After being informed of the suspicious slots rental, the state's Division of Gambling Control sent undercover agents to the charity event, where they reportedly saw 10 slot machines in use.
Under state law, individuals and companies, such as Squires', are allowed to own antique slot machines that are more than 25 years old. Nevertheless, using these slots for gambling purposes is strictly forbidden. In his defense, Squires claimed that as long as people played with free tokens, there was nothing illegal in renting the slots.
However, it seems that the undercover agents were offered to buy extra chips in addition to those that were handed out for free. They were also told that the participant who had the most chips at the end of the night would receive a prize. Justice Department officials ultimately seized 10 of Squires' 142 slot machines and an investigation is underway to determine whether or not the owner of the party supply company should be prosecuted.
