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I have a question... I'm looking into buy myself a few IGT S2000 machines, but I need to get a DOJ   :103-. How long does it take and where do I need to go.  :99-   Now be nice because people are always telling me where to go.. :279-  I'm in Michigan and I know theres a 25 yr law here. I'm buying these for my person use..

Thanks Gary

Just so you are aware...a DOJ does not give you permission to own slot machines in your State legally.  It does give you permission to transport a machine from one State to another legally, but only at the federal level.  You must still face potential State laws on ownership unless your are a licensed business, buying and selling machines legally.  In other words, lets say you buy some machines from a wholesaler in Vegas who tells you need to have a DOJ for them to ship to you.  This is correct and gets that company off the hook in a sense....but not you.  The machines are sent to you and you are very unlucky as the freight companies terminal happens to get a surprise inspection the day your machines roll in.  Expect them to be confiscated and to be fined in many States depending on the mood likely of local law enforcement.  OR, you get pulled over for a speeding ticket on your way home and then your problems begin.  OR, you have a nosy neighbor that sees you roll them into your home and likes to cause problems.  Point is, DOJ, does not grant permission to break State laws, you do so at your own risk which I know many do and in my opinion are doing no wrong since they are being used for entertainment and not gambling.  Kind of like the saying "guns don't kill people, people do".

Thanks for to information. So it sounds like I would be better off driving out of state (Ohio) to buy machines or to pick them up there. I know I don't need a DOJ to have them shipped Ohio. I know many people who do this then bring them home.

If you buy from a legal state (like Ohio), you generally need to prove that you live there (Ohio driver's license or the like) in order for a retailer to sell to you.

According to my attornies this is not exactly the case.  For example, it is legal to drive out of state to buy fireworks.  You must show your drivers license to do so whether you live in the legal state or not.  You must also sign a waiver that more or less states "you may take the product with you and take full responsibility for your actions and shall abide by your state laws".  The applies here to slot machines.  It is " legal to buy a slot machine in the State of Ohio".

Thanks Jim. :131-  You just answered the question I was asking knagl privately.  :96-
 :259- to you.


Stat :31-


P.S. For those who care, Arizona works basically the same way. Nevada definitely DOES NOT.

Now, who's got the goods on Texas? :128-  :199-

Add Minnesota to the "does not" list, at least in my experience.  Good information in this thread!  Jim, thank you for the insight.  :89-

Well thanks for the input and advice on this matter. I was just wanting to buy a few machine that were not shopped out, but was hoping to not have to drive out of state. Looks like my best option is to jump in my truck and take a drive South to Ohio, and save my self a big headache...   :25-   :182-

Ya You should have no problem as long as you drive the speed limit.

Yep I did the driving bit to Utah (legal) and back to Idaho (pre-1950...depends on a lot of things).  You see slots and poker machines pop up for sale locally on craigslist from time to time too.  I'm pushing it with an S2000 and Game King, but I'll take the "gamble."  Do I let me kid's friends come over and play?  No.  Are my machines converted to tokens?  Yes.  Are they sitting in plain view for the neighborhood to see?  No.  Do I run a casino out of my house?  No.

Could I host an in home casino and use my son's "See and Say" toy as a Roulette wheel and do my kids have slot machine piggy banks that were bought at Target for Christmas last year?  Why yes I could and yes they do!  ;)

Thanks,
Jason

Okay,  :72- (Can you believe I'm ACTUALLY TRYING to get this back on track?!?!?!?  :97- )


Where does Amachanic need to go to get his DOJ and how long would it take him?  :206-
He's in Michigan.

Go to this site. http://rudysdeals.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=72
Rudy's has a free download to register.

Here is the proper site, gives you forms and fax number and email to send

http://www.justice.gov/criminal/oeo/gambling/ (http://www.justice.gov/criminal/oeo/gambling/)

For what it's worth, unless you plan to be a business where you're going to be buying and selling slot machines, obtaining a DOJ in a non-legal state would seem to put a big flashing arrow over your house.  If the DOJ doesn't make the machine more legal to own in a non-legal state, why get one?

  Conspiracy theories  :103- .Just log into the above site :81- and  the justice dept / firearm and alcohol / FBI/ CIA and your local Jehovah witness  will all be crashing through your door  :99-   OH BOY AM IM IN TROUBLE   :279- :279-

Some people just get them to play dumb when they gotta go to court and stand in front of the judge and say>>>

"Well, I thought it was legal Judge?"  :5- :97-

To add to Kevin's post – and to add my boilerplate answer every time this comes up – if you register with the federal government (DOJ), be prepared to hear from your state officials asking why you filed for it, when will you or why haven't you already registered at the state level and paid appropriate fees, whether you have a DBA, etc, etc.

Before all the naysayers jump down my throat, it will depend on which state you live in, and some states may not bother you, so check into your local laws carefully.
As for myself, I perpetually live in the state of confusion. :127-


SF :31-

i am in legal state but i have had the police circleing my house after someone called the cops when i was unloading slots from truck, i finally grabbed my doj and walked out there and said you looking for where the slots are and he said yea. i explained and showed him the doj and he didnt even read it handed it back and said thanks and they all left.

but when someone called about too much noise  3 cops come and they took drivers license info and everyhting else. go figure.

You've got nosy neighbors... :5-

Couldn't agree more Kevin!  Big brother is always watching.

Don't poke the sleeping bear.  ;)

Jason

When I unload slots my neighbors come over and drool and talk about how cool they are, that is until I ask them to take a side and help me carry them! :200- :200- :200- :208-

They know I have stairs! :97- :97- :97- Noone came over when I unloaded the iGame Stant Top.. I guess they are smarter than I thought! :89- :71- :89-

Just kidding, I do have A DOJ, and a Gaming License... All of my neighbors know I have a legal business and that is why I have the machines. They also know that I will not sell to them as it is illegal, and I do not want to risk my license or JAIL! :283- :283- :283-

I can say that some "certain" States do check you out when you get a DOJ!!!! In my case they threatened all kinds of stuff, that is until I showed them my Gaming License that THEY issued!!! OOPS on their part, they did not even reply after that! :208- IMHO not worth the visibility unless you have a legitimate business purpose for a DOJ, but that is just my advice/opinion. :89-

CH :95-

One reason I asked this question goes back to the raffle this spring. If I would have won 1st or 2nd place prizes I was told I needed to get a DOJ and that they were easy and no big deal. So if what your saying now is I might have had an issue getting those prizes home? It really make no sence that if they are coinless (no hopper) and used in our homes for our entertainment, what's the big deal. I see them for sale on Craigslist all the time. Even a local pawn shop has some listed? If the states not going after these offenders, do I need to worrier if I try to do it by the book :103-

Put it this way. There are 1000 yellow chicks in your yard and one black one with an embedded tracking chip. Do you want to be the black one?



P.S. "By the book" means that you must be legal in your state. A DOJ doesn't DO that.

:183- :183- I want to be the protected eagle that visits the little Chickie's for lunch  YUM YUM  :185-

When I lived in PA, a 1941 state. I bought and transported machines.
My neighbors knew I had them as they came over for neighborhood parties and played.
I ran them off of tokens - that way no kid lost their lunch money intentionally or otherwise and subsequently no complaints.

My arguement is that you can buy poker chips, cards, and dice in any walmart. Its not until you use them for gambling that they become illegal.
You can also buy blackjack and electronic poker games along side where they sell monopoly and candyland.
Slots not used for gambling should be referred to as an animated lamp.

I have even seen wheel of fortune style machines at chucke-cheezes in California, kids buy tokens, insert tokens and depending on the spin they get paid in tickets that can be redeemed for prizes.
This is closer to gambling than anything my machines have ever been used for.

Unfortunately if someone complained I would find myself in court and regardless if I was able to prove my animated-lamps were not for gaming purposes I would be into a lawyer for a couple of grand before lunch and then probably lose my machines to boot.
They can say innocent until proven guilty, but you pay the price regardless.

The law should be set at a federal level and they should apply a measure of common sense.... this won't ever happen.

As long as you are putting the machinnes in your home and are not running a gambling opperation out of your home you really shouldn't have anything to worry about. And it is a good idea if you are having freinds over to not actually let them gamble there own money.

I got into this hobby well aware of the potential issues and I accept that risk 100%. See, that's what it boils down to. If you can't afford the risk, it might be better not to have the machines. Personally I think it's all BS. I have had a DOJ for 3 years running and no one from PGCB has ever contacted me about my machines. They are for fun only. If you read my signature it says "........all examples and descriptions are hypothetical in nature" which means that whatever I say is really opinion or myth LOL.

Anyone  know of someone hauled to court in any state over home ownership?

You mean because they owned a home? :5-  :96-  Yup. :71- 
Because they owned slots kept in their home? :128- ... nope. :200-
 :208- :208- :208-

 :262- Sorry Munch, just messing with ya'.  It's hard to resist a well fed straight line. :88-


SF :31-

i never heard of anyone but these guys got in bigger trouble then owning machines........i have yet to see a glitch on any slot machine in my entire life........

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11004/1115414-58.stm (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11004/1115414-58.stm)

You need to own a Game King.

i dont own a game king........ was never to big on poker but a few of my friends play gamekings and thats all they play....... and they do very well at the casinos...... i need to convert....... :97-

Average payback at the casino on various poker games is 97% to 98%...hard to go wrong.  I would bet your WOF's is set for around 88% to 90%.

i found this info online but i wonder how accurate it is.......

The following information is from Connecticut’s Division of Special Revenue regarding MGM Grand and Foxwoods’ slot payback percentages:

Denomination
   

Payback %

1¢
   

89.07

2¢
   

90.38

5¢
   

89.95

25¢
   

91.68

50¢
   

91.94

$1.00
   

93.50

$5.00
   

94.52

$10.00
   

95.33

$25.00
   

96.03

$100.00
   

95.41

Average
   

91.57


These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each denomination of slot machine from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. Foxwoods’ total win on its slot machines during that year was slightly more than $652 million and of that amount 25%, or slightly more than $163 million, was paid to the state.

The games offered at  Mohegan Sun are: blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, mini-baccarat, pai gow, wheel of fortune, bingo, pai gow poker, Caribbean stud poker, let it ride, Spanish 21, casino war, sic bo and keno. There is also a Race Book offering off-track betting on horses, greyhounds and jai-alai.

Here's information from Connecticut's Division of Special Revenue regarding Mohegan Sun's slot payback percentages:

Denomination
   

Payback %
1/2¢    85.66

1¢
   

88.73

2¢
   

88.66

5¢
   

88.25

25¢
   

91.04

50¢
   

91.31

$1.00
   

93.67

$5.00
   

93.84

$10.00
   

95.80

$25.00
   

95.47

$100.00
   

94.65

Average
   

91.86


These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each denomination of slot machine from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

The total win on all of the Mohegan Sun slot machines during that period was slightly more than $802 million and of that amount 25%, or slightly more than $200 million, was paid to the state.