### xonor8bla car01s.VaJwe opinion No.p-245 **Dimtrfct Attorney**  **of** mrrir County **R8rri8 county**  

### courthou8e Houaton,

*xau 

### 77002 wr Legaq **of** 

### 'Pinball" or *Marblemachines

with imediateright**of replay.**  **Dear Mr.**  **VanC~X** 

### Pouhaverecently

rmquuted anopinion **of thie**  

### offim con

### ceraingthelegality of l plnballa

**or** 

### %arble*aaebinea withmdiate**aad unrecorded**  **right of**  **replay. You**  ask tlb@**~Oll~lng** 

### qwmtioa8: 1) Doe8Attic10630,**V.P.C.,** a8 

### amendedin 1965,l **atcopt** 

### fro Jutfclo642a, **V.PX.,** 

### allpi-11 andmarbl* amchine **uhich.ccnfer** 

### onuinainp pliyem u -iate 

### and **unrecorded right**  

### ofreplay? 2) Under Article 6628 **and** Article 630, **V.P.C.,** in it 

### unlauful

topoamessa 

### pinbalf. orurble machine

which auarda**free qaaea**  and **is any**  **way, by**  **coua$er of**  **OtbOr wi+**  **racorda the**  **ntmhor of**  **free 9ans**  **auarded?** 

### Article642,**V.P.C., daffau**  **.tlrr, torr**  

### 'alot8achine.a xt 

### readr in part a0 

### follou8: -Art.642a. slot UChbb.8 

### *Definition

of **8lot** 

### machine

“section 

### 1. The tUl8 '8$Ot aWhine', l8 **Wed** ia thi8 **et,** mUL8t "(a) &ty &O-C8ll0d '8lOt 

### machine' orany **Other** 

### m8chituormechaaical &i&e, by uhat8ceyer 

### nam kncm, aa 88nntial **part of**  **which i8**  **8** 

### drumorreelwithiluipnia thereon,

and,. -

Honorable Carol S. Vance, Page 2 (M-245)

(1)which when operatedmay deliver, as the result of the application of an element of chance, 

### anymoney, 

### orproperty or other valuable thing, or (2)by the operation of which a peraon may be entitled to receive, a8 the reclult

of the application of an element of chance, any money or' property or other valuable thing; **or** "(b) tiy machine or mechanical device designed and manufactured or adapted to operate by means of the insertion of 

### a coin, token, or other object 

### anddesig'ned, manufactured or adapted

. 89 that when operated it may deliver, as the~result **of** 

### an application of 

### an element of chance, 

### anymoney or **property;** or "(c)Any subassembly or essential part intended **to** be u8ed in connectionwith 8Uch machine or mechanical device." Article 642a,V.P.C., ha8 been interpretedby the Court of Civil **ADDealS** in State v. One Slot Machine, 305 S.W.Zd 386 (Tex.Crim.App.

_._ no wrm,mthat Court framed the issue involvedby stating: lG7, "Thequestion involved is whether a marble table which is dea$gned and manufac,tured to operate by means of the insertion of a coin, and designed and manufactured so that when operated 

### it **may** deliver free games, as **a** result **of** an application of **an** element of chance, is a,slot machine under the 

### termsand provisions of Article 642a.
. **.even** though the condition of **the** machine **at** the time **of** its seizure

### was such 

### thatfree gamer could not be played **on** it:* The evidence in that ca8e 8howed that the machine in question was 

### a marble machine designed **and** manufactured to deliver free games 88 an 

### elementof chance after the **insertion** of a coin. The evidence further showed, however, that at the time the machine was seized by officers it would not award free games for the reason +-tat certain parts of the machine had been disconnected so that it would not give 

### freegames.

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**mals** Carol **s**
**. Vance,**  **Page 3**  **04-24s)**

In it8 holding in thi8 ca88, the court 8tated 

### tbatwithin t#e **roanhg of**  **the** grpi~ law8 **the** award of free grnrs **i8** both **proparty** and a thing of value, further teatiraq,"We believe that the machine if2 involved i8 a 810t machine within the **praVi8iOnR** Of Article

I(

. . . In a965 the &$3l8latwa alter& the law oomcernieg pinball **Mchily8** by en anendment to Article 630, **V.P.C.** The pertinent wrtion of **that** amendment reads **a8** follou8:

**“ Art.**  **630. 562**  Peaittiaq device on 

### premises "(a)
. . . '(b)An inudiate end uwwoe&d right of repleyruchanicrlly confermd on **p1eyW8** of pinbell nachinea end rimilar devicw, ir not iatended to be included in the phrase ‘ menryr property, or **other** val**u&U tbinp** **’** 

### in thirr **chapter** 

### or **any othot**  related 

## statute

**of this**  **8tate. Aa**  **amended mta**  **W65, S8th**  p. 690, ch. 329 91." **-8.4 It**  **18** f8latote in Utd 8irrilU though they ._ our opinioe **that** the evident intent **of'the** Leg8uch **amendment war**  to authorize pinbell machine8 dtivices

to be operated, used and **pWaeS88d** even & award en immediate and unrecorded right of replay. nmmverr unaor Article8 **642(b)** end 630, V.P.C., it would be 

### unlauful

to **p088uo** eny pinball aachine or 8i8ilu 

### devioe which reaorded any **right** of replay. We are of the further opiniwiiihm uord **‘ u#Wecorded** **’** as wed in the **Ametibent** prohibit8 8uch a mhine if it **i8** equipPea with en indllcator shcuing the nunbor of frm **-8 yet**  **to be**  **plqed or**  if 

### it dimplay 

### a **counter** uhich regietu8 

### free**gm8 awarded.**  **Our** Ma8oming **ia** thi8 **rogud** i8 irwsr from tbcaw **of** Peaches et 

### al. &$%!%E?id 4.1 89 i.L.R.2d 8Ol. **tJm Suprcr#r**  **Court of**  

### Indiure**(1960) ,?m**  **Id**
**.**

mdet Article **630(b),** V.P.C., p&W11 m&wIna 8nd 8hilu device8 aamnoul8wfultpbo powwe**mctxdod riqht**  **of** raplay. **It** #rM be Ualmt?itlhouever under Article8 **642(b) and**  **638, V.P.C.,**  b poet& ury pinball aachine. .

Honorable Carol S. Vance, Page 4 **(M-245)**

( or similar device which recorded any right of replay. Consequently, such a machine would be unlawful if it is equipped with an indicator showin9 the number of free games yet to **be** played **or** if it displays a counter for free games awarded.

Prepared by Jo Betsy Lewallen Assistant Attorney General APPROVED: OPINION COMMITTEE Hawthorne Phillips, Chairman Kerns Taylor, Co-Chairmen Alfred Walker Brandon Bickett Bonald Luna Fielding Early EXECUTIVEASSISTANT A. J. Carubbi, Jr.

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