§ 3A-275 — Standards for player terminals.

A. Player terminals used in connection with electronic games shall conform to the following standards: 1. No player terminal shall be capable of being used as a stand-alone unit for the purposes of engaging in any game not permitted by this act; 2. In addition to a video monitor or other electromechanical display, each player terminal may have one or more of the following: a printer, graphics and signage; 3. Each player terminal may have one or more of the following: electronic buttons, touch screen capability, and a mechanical, electromechanical or electronic means of activating the game and providing player input, including a means for making player selections and choices in games; 4. Each player terminal shall have a nonvolatile backup memory or its equivalent, which shall be maintained in a secure compartment on each player terminal for the purpose of storing and preserving a redundant set of critical data which has been error checked in accordance with this act, and which data shall include, at a minimum, the following player terminal information: a. electronic meters required by paragraph 7 of this subsection, b. recall of all wagers and other information associated with the last ten (10) plays, and c. error conditions that may have occurred on the player terminal; 5. An on/off switch that controls the electrical current that supplies power to the player terminal, which must be located in a secure place that is readily accessible within the interior of the player terminal; 6. The operation of each player terminal must not be adversely compromised or affected by static discharge, liquid spills, or electromagnetic interference; 7. A player terminal must have electronic accounting meters which have tally totals to a minimum of seven (7) digits and be capable of rolling over when the maximum value of at least 9,999,999 is reached. The player terminal must provide a means for on-demand display of the electronic meters via a key switch or other secure method on the exterior of the machine. Electronic meters on each player terminal for each of the following data categories are required: a. credits, or equivalent monetary units, deposited on a cumulative basis on that terminal, b. if a player terminal offers more than one electronic bonanza-style bingo game or electronic amusement game for play, then for each game, the meter shall record the number of credits, or equivalent monetary units, wagered and won for each game, c. hand-paid and progressive jackpots paid for that terminal, which must include the cumulative amounts paid by an attendant for any such jackpot not otherwise metered pursuant to subparagraph b of this paragraph, d. the number of electronic games played on the terminal, and e. the number of times the cabinet door is opened or accessed; 8. Under no circumstances shall the player terminal electronic accounting meters be capable of being automatically reset or cleared, whether due to an error in any aspect of its or a game’s operation or otherwise. All meter readings must be recorded and dated both before and after an electronic accounting meter is cleared; 9. At a minimum, each player terminal shall have the following game information available for display on the video screen and/or displayed on the player terminal itself, in a location conspicuous to the player: a. the rules of the game being played, b. the maximum and minimum cost of a wager, purchase or play activation and the amount of credits, or cash equivalents, which may be won for each game offered through that terminal, c. the player’s credit balance, d. the outcome of the game then being played, and e. any prize won on the game then being played; 10. The video screen or other means for displaying game rules, outcomes and other game information shall be kept under a glass or other transparent substance which places a barrier between the player and the actual surface of the display. At no time may stickers or other removable media be placed on the player terminal’s face for purposes of displaying rules or payouts; 11. No hardware switches may be installed on a player terminal or any associated equipment which may affect the outcome or payout of any game for which the player terminal is used. Switches may be installed to control the ergonomics of the player terminal; and 12. Where the electronic game system or components are linked with one another in a local network for progressive jackpot, function sharing, aggregate prizes or other purposes, communication protocols must be used which ensure that erroneous data or signals will not adversely affect the operations of any such system or components.

Legislative History

Added by Laws 2004, c. 316, § 16, State Question No. 712, Legislative Referendum No. 335, adopted at election held on Nov. 2, 2004.