The Great Seattle Slot Machine Crackdown
Prohibition of gaming devices leads to a high-stakes test case in the Seattle courts.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Owners of slot machines in Seattle are testing the new state law prohibiting the use of machines paying merchandise prizes. A man who volunteered to allow himself to be prosecuted was found in the person of Harry Smith, of 111 Yesler Way, who has been charged with violating the law. Smith was arrested but is now out on bonds. A large number of machines are used in the city, many owned by cigar stand proprietors who are often men of small capital. The competition in this business is very great, and it is claimed that many owners will have to go out of business if the machines are suppressed. The machines act as salesmen, taking in anywhere from $10 to $40 a day. Owners have formed a pool and subscribed funds to put up a strong legal fight against the law, which they are very sanguine of beating. Prosecuting Attorney Scott filed an information against Smith, but he secured $1,000 bond and was released. Both sides are anxious for a speedy settlement of the matter.
“The competition in this business is very great, and it is claimed that many of the owners will have to go out of business if the slot machines are permanently suppressed.”
This early 20th-century clash over slot machines highlights the eternal tension between small business revenue and state moral regulation. Today, Washington’s gambling debates have shifted from cigar store side-bets to the complex legal status of tribal casinos and online wagering apps.
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