Prohibition

When slot machines are illegal to play in a certain jurisdiction.

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A prohibition law prohibits (makes it illegal) to play slot machines in an area, or to own slot machines for the purposes of gambling.

The term "prohibition" is most famously used to describe the era from 1920 until 1933, when the U.S. Congress made it illegal to sell or consume alcohol in the United States. The law aided in the rapid growth of organized crime in the 1920's, mainly because a large segment of the U.S. population refused to follow the Prohibition laws.

Prohibition can mean the prohibiting of virtually any act under the law, though it often refers to illegal substances. More recently, prohibition has slipped into the gambling lexicon as it applies to jurisdictions which outlaw one form of gambling or another. Prohibition of slot machines simply means it is illegal to play, distribute or maintain slot machines for gambling purposes. Laws passed to make slot machines illegal are called prohibition laws. They literally prohibit slot machine gambling.

In recent years, video poker became a hot-button topic in many U.S. states. Video poker machines were placed in bars and convenience stores, and people enjoyed playing video poker in the establishment around the corner from their house. Anti-gambling activists lobbied local and state governments to prohibit video slots, claiming the game degraded the morals of the citizenry and cost low-income families much-needed money. In many states, the lobbying worked and video poker prohibition laws passed.

To fill the void, slot machine manufacturers began to place video slots in bars and gas stations. The anti-gambling crowd is back out in force, now calling for laws to prohibit video slots in their local communities. The prohibition of slot machines is certain to become an issue at the state and local levels of government in the next few years.