US Slot Machine Laws by State

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Outside of the 1961 Wire Act, the 1992 PASPA law, and the 2006 UIGEA law, the U.S. federal government allows states to decide most gambling laws. So people who want to buy a slot machine shouldn’t be concerned about federal gambling laws, but they do need to know their state gaming machine ownership laws. For that reason, this page focuses on state laws regarding slot machine ownership.

Forty-one states allow people to own used slot machines for personal use. Only nine states have a total ban on buying and selling used gaming machines. Most of the other states have restrictions placed on the legal purchase of second-owner slot machines, but they have a wide range for what is allowed.

Where it’s Legal (or Illegal) to Buy/Own Slot Machines

STATELEGAL STATUSLEGAL REFERENCE
AlaskaALL LEGALAlaska Statutes – Section 11.66.260
ArizonaALL LEGALArizona Revised Statutes 13-3301 – 13-3309
ArkansasALL LEGALN/A
KentuckyALL LEGALKentucky Revised Statutes 528.080
MaineALL LEGALMaine Revised Statutes Title 17A – Chapter 39
MinnesotaALL LEGALMinnesota Statutes and Criminal Laws
NevadaALL LEGALN/A
OhioALL LEGALOhio Revised Code
Rhode IslandALL LEGALRhode Island General Laws
TexasALL LEGALTexas Statutes Chapter 47
UtahALL LEGALN/A
VirginiaALL LEGALN/A
West VirginiaALL LEGALN/A
CaliforniaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERCalifornia Penal Code 330.7
ColoradoMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1984Colorado Revised Statutes 12-47.1-103
DelawareMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDER28 Delaware 904
FloridaMACHINES 20 YEARS OR OLDERFlorida Statutes 849.235
GeorgiaMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1950Georgia Code Title 16, Sec. 16-12-24
IdahoMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1950Idaho Statutes Title 18, 3810
IllinoisMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERIllinois Compiled Statutes 720 5/28-1
IowaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERIowa Code 725.9
KansasMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1950Kansas Statutes 21-4306
LouisianaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERLouisiana Title 15:31-1
MarylandMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERMaryland Code Article 27-264B
MassachusettsMACHINES 30 YEARS OR OLDERMassachusetts General Laws Ch. 271, Sec. 5A
MichiganMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERMichigan Compiled Statutes 750.303
MississippiMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERMississippi Code 27-27-12
MissouriMACHINES 30 YEARS OR OLDERMissouri Revised Statutes 572.070 & 572.125
MontanaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERMontana State Code 23-5-153
New HampshireMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERNew Hampshire Revised Statutes 647:2
New JerseyMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1941New Jersey Statute 2C:37-7
New YorkMACHINES 30 YEARS OR OLDERNew York Consolidated Laws 225.32
North CarolinaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERNorth Carolina General Statutes 14-309.1
North DakotaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERNorth Dakota Century Code 12.1-28-02
OklahomaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDEROklahoma State Statutes 21-964
OregonMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDEROregon Revised Statutes 167.147
PennsylvaniaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERPennsylvania Consolidated Statutes 5513
South DakotaMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERSouth Dakota Codified Laws 22-25-14.1
VermontMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1954Vermont Statutes Title 13, Ch. 51, Sec. 2135
WashingtonMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERRevised Code of Washington 9.46.235
Washington, DCMACHINES MANUFACTURED PRE – 1952District of Columbia 22-1704
WyomingMACHINES 25 YEARS OR OLDERWyoming Statute 6-7-101
AlabamaPROHIBITEDAL Code Section 13A, Chapter 12, Article 2
ConnecticutPROHIBITEDConnecticut Chapter 946, Section 53-278a
HawaiiPROHIBITEDHawaii Statutes §712-1226
IndianaPROHIBITEDIndiana Code 35-45-5-4
NebraskaPROHIBITEDNebraska Revised Statutes Section 28-1107
New MexicoPROHIBITEDNM Gaming Control Bd. v. Ten Gaming Devices
South CarolinaPROHIBITEDSouth Carolina Code §12-21-2710
TennesseePROHIBITEDTennessee Code §39-17-505
WisconsinPROHIBITEDWisconsin Statutes Chapter 945

Slot Machine Ownership FAQs

Why are there so many restrictions on buying and owning slot machines in the US?

You might wonder why state legislators care if you own a slot machine or not.

The biggest reason slot machine ownership is heavily regulated is to prevent people from buying used slot machines for commercial use. When you play slots online at legal US casinos you know that the games are fair. But if the owner of your local bar added slot machines for customers to play, he could easily manipulate the slot’s RNG to cheat players.

Can I buy a slot machine for my home?

It depends on the state where you live. Most US states will allow you to buy a slot machine for home use. However, many states require that the slot machine be at least 25 years old.

Where can I buy a slot machine for home use?

There are several reputable slot machine resellers where you can purchase a slot machine for home use. A few of these include Slot Machines Unlimited, Gamblers Oasis USA, and Slot Machines USA. You can also find cheap slot machines for sale on Ebay.

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