Several Georgia slot machines give illegal payouts

Wonder how much this costs to monitor a small number of Slots at convenience stores?

Several Rome slot machines give illegal payouts, police say

Police were at a Marathon gas station at 2039 Maple Road

on Monday morning as part of a gambling investigation.

(Lauren Jones, RN-T)

Mar 26, 2013

ROME, Ga. -- Authorities in Floyd County are investigating possible illegal payouts from slot machines at seven service stations in the area.

Complaints had been filed for quite some time, so forces were joined on Monday between the Rome Police Department, Floyd County Police Department, Floyd County Sheriff's Office and Floyd County District Attorney's Office.

The Rome-News Tribune spoke to Floyd County Sheriff Tim Burkhalter, who acknowledged that having slot machines in a gas station is legal, but a cash payout is not.

"This is something we feel is a scourge in our community," Burkhalter said. "This is not a victimless crime. This is the first sweep."

Nikki Raj told Rome-News Tribune that her family owns the Marathon station of 2039 Maple Street, and she was not worried about the investigation.

She said her family runs the Marathon's slot machines according to Georgia law, and that any customer who won playing the slot machine would use their prize as store credit to buy merchandise.

According to Rome-New Tribune, other gas stations that have been investigated include the BP at 3486 Martha Berry Highway, the Citgo 1928 Shorter Avenue, the Marathon at 2039 Maple Road, the Twinkie's Food Mart on Calhoun Road and two others.

http://www.11alive.com/news/article/285118/40/Several-Rome-slot-machines-give-illegal-payouts-police-say