Slot Machines Might Cost Iowa Money

In 2002, Iowa lawmakers approved the slot machines known as TouchPlay. The slot machines were an immediate hit, and they expanded to 6,432 slot machines located in 3,839 licensed establishments. However, in March, enough people had complained saying that the lottery games were too much like Vegas slot machines and lawmakers approved a ban of the machines. The owners and operators of said slot machines said that the state broke its promise to them by reversing their decision, and they want them to pay.

Four lawsuits against the state are pending by those that had owned and run the slot machines, and these lawsuits could easily cost the state of Iowa millions of dollars. There is also an appeal pending in federal appeals court that has been there since before the state shut down the slot machines. Lawmakers have said they are not planning on reversing the ban on the slot machines, but they may have to.

Many of these companies are sitting on millions of dollars worth of slot machines that they cannot use to pay off the debt they incurred purchasing them. Many of the businesses that were running the slot machines are now facing bankruptcy because they cannot pay for them. They want the state to allow them to operate the slot machines so that they can pay off the debt incurred from them.

The state says they have no plans on allowing the slot machines to start running again, but some say that they may have to because taxpayers will not be willing to pay millions because of a mistake over a slot machine.

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