You can find as many objects to collect as you can find collectors, but some of the most interesting collectibles are slot machines. You can buy them used, but the legality of owning a gambling machine varies from state to state. This page takes a look at some of the issues involved in buying a used slot machine to start or expand a collection of your own.
Where Do You Live?
The first thing you should understand is that no matter where you live, if you’re using a slot machine to offer gambling to other people, you need a license. In some states, gambling is completely prohibited. Chances are you’re an individual collector and don’t have a gambling license, so don’t let people gamble on your games unless you have a high risk tolerance for illegal behavior.
In some states, even collectors aren’t allowed to own a used slot machine. These states include Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Ownership of slot machines, used or otherwise, is illegal in those states.
Other states have no legal restrictions on slot machine ownership as long as you’re not using them to run a gambling business. These states include: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Whether you want to buy a few used slot machines for your home or need to stock a casino, Slot Machines Unlimited can help. Furthermore, we carry machine parts, casino chairs, slot machine stands, signage and more. When you purchase from Slot Machines Unlimited, we strive to make sure your order meets your needs. Whether you want to buy a few used slot machines for your home or need to stock a casino, Slot Machines Unlimited can help. Furthermore, we carry machine parts, casino chairs, slot machine stands, signage and more. When you purchase from Slot Machines Unlimited, we strive to make sure your order meets your needs.
The other states have specific guidelines based on the age of the machine. For example, in California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming, it’s legal to own a slot machine as long as it’s at least 25 years old. Other states have higher or lower age limits—in Florida you can own a slot machine as long as it’s 20 years or older, but in Massachusetts, it has to be at least 30 years old. And still other states base it on what year the machine was built; in Illinois and Iowa, for example, it’s only legal to own slot machines that were constructed before 1950.
To the best of my knowledge, this information is complete and accurate, but before buying your own used coin-op slot machine, you should check with local legal authorities to make sure you have the most up to date information. You should always obey the laws in whatever jurisdiction you reside.
What Kind of Dealer Are You Dealing With?
You’ll find plenty of people selling used slot machines on the Internet. Many of these are third-party sellers. That means they don’t offer slot machines directly; instead, they just take your order and then buy the slot machine from someone else and have it shipped to you. You’ll often notice that these third party dealers use stock images or pictures that were stolen from direct dealers’ websites.
It’s better to deal with a direct dealer when you can. These dealers will often offer a warranty on the machines they sell. They’ll also be able to help you over the phone if you’re having a problem operating your game. Third party dealers aren’t able to offer you this level of service.
One way to be sure you’re dealing with an actual dealer instead of a third party is to ask them if you’re able to visit their showroom or warehouse. Third party dealers, for obvious reasons, don’t have showrooms or warehouses.
What Kinds of Used Slot Machines CAN I Buy?
Most dealers offer reconditioned machines that have been retired from use in Las Vegas style casinos. Many of these are the same IGT (International Game Technology) manufactured games that you’re used to seeing in the casino, only older and more primitive. Most dealers also provide replacement parts and repair services.
One thing to look for when considering buying a machine from a dealer is whether or not they use real glass or plexiglass. Real glass is superior as plexiglass fades over time. You can expect to pay a little more for a machine with real glass, but it’s worth the extra cost. If you’ve ever seen a faded plexiglass screen on a used slot machine, you’ll know what I mean.
Many of these games can be set up to enjoy on “free play” mode. You don’t have to insert any kind of money in order to play these games. You can even modify these games to pay out tickets.
Examples of some of the popular and well-known games available for sale on the Internet include titles like Cleopatra, Double Diamond, Munsters, Red, White, and Blue, Sizzling Senves, Tabasca, Texas Tea, and Wild Cherry slots. Many other titles are available besides these, but you’ll recognize a lot of these brand names as still being available (albeit in newer models) in casinos today.
How Much Should I Spend?
Used slot machines are collectibles, and they’re priced accordingly. Shipping is usually going to be expensive, too. You can probably expect to pay at least $600 for a good machine and $200 for shipping. Video slots will cost twice that or more, and you’ll sometimes have the option of upgrading to a new LCD monitor when buying a video slot machine. Those are expensive, too–$400 or $500.
Other upgrades you can pay for include stereo sound packages, coin in coin out functionality, and/or backlit reels (on mechanical or electro-mechanical machines). These upgrades generally cost between $100 and $200 each.
Of course, these prices apply to relatively newer slot machines. Older antique slot machines can cost more or less. I’ve seen slot machines from the 1930s and 1940s that were beautifully refurbished for sale for as little as $325. Some of these older machines are barely recognizable as slot machines, but they make beautiful, conversation-worthy collections.
Conclusion
Buying a used slot machine can be a fun way to start a new hobby of collecting gaming machines, but do some research first. You want to make sure that it’s legal to do so before you get started. You also need to do some research into dealers before spending any money. Avoid third-party dealers, and find a direct dealer with a warehouse who offers warranties and telephone customer support.
The legality of buying a used slot machine in the United States varies from state to state. Many online merchants only allow the sale of antique slot machines—actual coin-operated slot machine games that aren’t antiques are generally unavailable for purchase. This is intended to curtail the potential for unlicensed casinos from popping up in various towns across the country.
This page takes a look at the various options available in various states.
Which States Make It Illegal to Own a Used Slot Machine?
The following states have made it illegal to own slot machines privately. This includes any kind of slot machine game, including antiques:
The best advice we can offer to residents of those states is to not buy or try to own a slot machine. Dealers in used and antique slot machines won’t even ship to people living in these states.
- Alabama
- New Mexico
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
Which States Allow You To Own Antique Machines?
The following states allow ownership of antique slot machines only. Their definitions of “antique” vary. In most of these states, a game that’s 25 years old or older is an antique, but some of these states have stricter or looser guidelines. We’ve included notes after the states which have a different rule than the 25 years standard:
- Colorado – Any machine before 1984
- D.C – Any machine before 1952
- Florida – Only requires 20 years+
- Georgia – Any machine before 1950
- Idaho – Any machine before 1950
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas – Any machine before 1950
- Massachussets – Requires 30 years+
- Michigan
- Missouri – Requires 30 years+
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey – Any machine before 1941
- New York – Requires 30 years+
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Vermont – Any machine before 1954
Which States Don’t Have Any Restrictions?
The following states don’t have restrictions on the ownership of used slot machines:
Keep in mind that laws change all the time, so if you’re unsure about whether or not it’s legal to own a particular type of used or antique slot machine in your jurisdiction, get professional legal advice. We can’t be held responsible for out of date or inaccurate legal information—this site’s purpose is to provide information for educational and entertainment purposes, and it’s not intended to replace the advice of a legal professional.
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- Rhode Island
- Texas
- Utah
Buying a Used Slot Machine on eBay
Most people buying something used check eBay first. You should be aware that their site has specific guidelines regarding the sale of slot machines. For example, coin-operated machines that aren’t antiques aren’t allowed to be sold there. They also don’t allow the sale of machines which can be converted to accept coins. Replicas that work are NOT considered antiques.
Slot machines that don’t accept currency and don’t pay out money are allowed to be sold on eBay.
Other Dealers
Antique slot machine dealers often have their own sites and even their own brick and mortar locations where you can do business. For the most part, they’ll follow similar to business practices as the eBay guidelines. In other words, if you live in a state where slot machine ownership is illegal, they probably won’t sell to you.
Prices for used slot machines vary widely based on condition and rarity. Slot Machines and Coin-Op Games: A Collector’s Guide to One-Armed Bandits and Amusement Machines was published in 1994, so much of the information contained within is out of date, but the information about condition and collecting in general is still useful. The book includes lots of photographs and information about other types of coin-operated games, too, including penny arcade games, pinballs, and other novelty games.
Classified Ads
One option for aspiring used slot machine collectors and buyers is to advertise in the classifieds section of the local newspaper. Posting a “want-to-buy” ad might result in finding private owners who are willing to sell used or antique slot machine games for considerably less than a professional dealer would. Don’t bother trying to use the free ads on Craigslist for this purpose though—they have a strict policy related to gambling items, and they don’t allow ads for the purpose of buying, selling, or trading slot machines of any kind.
How Much Does a Used Slot Machine Cost?
Where To Purchase Slot Machines
We’ve seen some antique slot machines for sale for as little as a $500, but most of them are at least $1000, and the really rare, high-quality slots sell for $3000 or more. Shipping costs are also expensive because of the size and weight of the machines. You can expect to pay at least $250 to ship any reasonable sized slot machine game.