JACKSON - The Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled that the machines seized at Timmy Trainer's store in Greenville were illegal gambling devices.
Trainer, his wife, SD Amusements of Mississippi Inc. and the Mississippi Amusement Operators Association sued the state after sheriff's deputies in 2002 seized the machines from his Greenville store.
Trainer claimed the machines were not gambling devices and the seizure was unconstititonal. Wash-ington County Circuit Judge Rich-ard Smith dismissed Trainer's lawsuit in 2004. On appeal, Trainer argued the same issues - the machines were legal and were unconstitutionally seized.
According to the court record, the deputies had a warrant for "four video poker machines," which Trainer testified were not the types of machines seized. Court documents showed the seized video games had a display similar to those on slot machines and are known as "Cherry Masters" or "Eight Liners."
Trainer was arrested for possessing illegal gambling devices. His criminal case had been delayed while the civil case was decided.
According to court documents, the arcade-like machines project electronic displays onto glass screens similar to those on personal computers.
The displays resemble spinning reels like those on a traditional slot machine. The player begins the game by inserting money, which generates credits, depending on how much money is inserted.
The game is played by stopping the spinning reels by pressing buttons, called "skill stops." The object is to line up common symbols on the display to accumulate more credits, which in turn will allow more playing time. The machines, which accept both coins and bills, do not give change or return unused credits. Any unused credits become a windfall to the next player.
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