Could Chuck E. Cheese Soon Be Considered ‘Illegal’ in Michigan?

It's hard to think that a place where a mouse is the mascot could be considered 'illegal', but a new bill could make that happen. Businesses like Chuck E Cheese and Dave and Busters could be subject to gambling laws. And that means birthday parties where kids are playing games for tickets could be 'illegal' according to the new bill.

New Gaming Bill in the Michigan House

House Bill 5227, now in the Michigan Legislature, aims to redefine slot machines in state law. According to CapCon, the bill is intended to close loopholes created by new gambling technologies. But, because the bill's definition of slot machines is so broad, it could affect businesses like Dave and Buster's and Chuck E Cheese. Playing games like Skee-ball where a player earns tickets and exchanges them for prizes would be considered gambling if the wording isn't changed.

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How the Bill Affects Arcade Games

The current definition of a slot machine according to the bill is where arcade games could be affected. The bill's definition describes a slot machine as 'any mechanical, electrical, electromechanical, or other device, contrivance, or machine that, on insertion of a coin, token, or similar object, or on payment of any consideration, is available to play or operate.' So as long as no tickets or other rewards are given to players, they're not included. But, where's the fun if you can't turn in 100 tickets for a tootsie roll or a plethora of stickers? Hopefully, the wording is changed so it's not a felony for kids to play whack a mole.