Following the adoption of a new ordinance banning entertainment devices offering monetary prizes, game rooms across Springfield were closed on Feb. 13.
On Feb. 12, the Springfield City Council voted to ban “no-chance” games — commonly known as video lottery terminals (VLTs) or gray machines — from awarding monetary prizes to players.
Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams told the Hauxeda that police officers are visiting businesses that operate VLTs and providing them a copy of the new ordinance, and that enforcement will begin on Feb. 14.
“It’s not a requirement that we do that, I just thought it was good policy to kind of give an educational warning, give them the opportunity, which I hope they will do is just shut down and then we don't have to take enforcement action,” he said.
Williams said all types of businesses that have the devices are being notified of the law, but officers have prioritized stand-alone game rooms over gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops.
A Daily Citizen reporter visited six game rooms on Tuesday, to find them all closed. Garden of Gold Internet Café, located at 3130 E. Sunshine St. and Prime Time, located at 1322 W. Grand St., weren’t open.
Red Rubby, located at 715 S. Glenstone Ave., had its gated parking lot closed and three arcades in the Plaza Shopping Center on South Glenstone Avenue, including Big Win Arcade, were also closed. Big Win and Garden of Gold each had a printed copy of the new ordinance taped to its door.
Under the ordinance, monetary prizes can come in the form of cash, check, bank transfer, negotiable instrument, store credit, gift card or anything redeemable for such prizes. Each device maintained is considered a separate offense.
Under terms of the VLT ban, a violator is subject to a minimum fine of $500 for the first offense, $1,000 for the second offense, and $1,000 and a minimum of 30 days in jail for the third; a $1,000 fine and 180 days in jail is the maximum penalty. Violations are not eligible for a suspended imposition of a sentence, and will be processed through Municipal Court.
Springfield police are keeping a list of locations officers have been to, so if they come across VLTs they previously weren’t aware of, it is within an officer’s prerogative to issue a warning, according to Williams.
The new ordinance is at the “top of the list” of police priorities in Springfield for a few days, but Williams said it will eventually “fit in with everything else that we’re tasked with,” though he anticipates violators to be few and far between.
