The government of Iowa recently approved legislation to legalize TouchPlay video slot machines as part of the Iowa State Lottery, and venues were quick to jump at the opportunity to host the machines.
Nearly 5,000 TouchPlay video slot machines are currently distributed among more than 2,600 retail outlets, convenience stores, grocery stores, and bars across the state. There are also machines in tanning salons, self- service laundries, and even a car wash.
The Touchplay machines are slightly different from traditional video slot machines, since they have predetermined payouts rather than distributing jackpots at random.
In addition to the video slot machines, Iowa offers a larger range of gambling opportunities than most states. Iowa has a lottery, bingo offerings, raffles, horse and dog racing, and casinos on riverboats and racetracks, and on Native American tribal lands. A study commissioned by the Racing and Gaming Commission last year ranked Iowa 10th in the nation in video slot machine density per capita, with 16,466 machines serving Iowa's 2.1 million adult residents. The study did not include TouchPlay machines.
Some Iowa residents fear that all these gambling opportunities are dangerous for those who have problems with gambling, or who have had problems in the past. According to experts, the TouchPlay video slot machines may be particularly dangerous for those who are trying to kick a problem gambling habit. People who have learned to stay out of casinos and away from racetracks will have a great deal of trouble avoiding all the places that feature the TouchPlay video slot machines.
"My clients are telling me that they are tuned in to the sound of these machines. It was like they were attracted to it before they even knew what hit them. Now they are right back where they started from," said Jewell Cooper, coordinator of gambling treatment at Allen Hospital in Waterloo.
Other critics of the TouchPlay video slot machines say that these machines are dangerously easily accessible for children. They are located in many areas that attract minors, and busy retail employees do not have time to make sure all players are of the required age.
Approximately 3 percent of all Iowa residents are problem gamblers, including 1 percent whose problems with gaming are extremely severe.
The Iowa legislature will discuss, during the current session, whether the number of TouchPlay machines should be reduced, despite that fact that business owners say they boost revenue.
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