Legal Niches

OK Set to Raise Licensing Fees for Arcade Machines

By pete_gallagher

Facing a budget shortfall of $1.2 billion, the state of Oklahoma is looking to zap vending machine and arcade operators with a fee increase of about 300 percent.

Effective July 1, the cost of a license for such machines will rise from $50 to nearly $150, which will make life more difficult for arcade operators like Mike Sefcovick, who operates Cactus Jack's in Oklahoma City.

Sefcovick pays about $17,000 a year currently to license his 350 machines, a number that will skyrocket to around $52,000 (approximately $145 per machine) following the implementation of the increase.

Sefcovick, speaking to News9, said about the increase, 'It's going to hurt us bad.'

Governor Brad Henry's spokesperson Paul Sund added, 'The question was simple, do you raise fees or do you lay off teachers. Do you raise fees or furlough troopers; we thought it made more sense to raise fees.'

Thanks E. Zachary Knight!

Full post as published by GamePolitics.com on June 07, 2010 (boomark / email).