Indiana Lawmakers Fumble Their Way Through Gambling Machine Escapade

While the state of Indiana is facing the same financial difficulties as other states, they felt it necessary to organize a crackdown on illegal gambling machines. That almost yearlong crackdown has produced a total of 760 seized machines.

With legalized gambling coming to Hoosier Park, the state wanted to make sure that they maximized their profits by stopping the illegal activity that was going on in truck stops, taverns, and other locations around the state.

They estimated that the illegal gambling machines were such a problem, that they would likely confiscate 20,000 to 30,000 machines in their investigation. So they assigned a csar to oversea the operation and went to work.

Now, after almost a year, and $2.5 million spent, they have revealed the figures from their work. They have seized 760 machines. That is a far cry from the 20,000 or 30,000 they predicted.

The task force that they put together to stop the illegal gambling is costing them $900,000 annually. They still believe, as is the case with most politicians, that their efforts were a success. "I have been told that a significant number of machines have quietly disappeared as a result of the passage of this new law," said Senate President David Long.

One can only assume that what he meant by "significant number" would be in the range of 19,000 machines. The state of Indiana should be honored that they have legislators that are able to put their reputations on the line and spend $2.5 million of people's taxes to stop 760 machines from being played.

With the machines confiscated, the Indiana government can now ensure that the only exploitative machines that are being played in the state will have the profits coming back to them in the state capital.

June 10, 2008
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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