The mass media loves stories like this. Even radio could get in on this story, throwing out familiar names, like Betty Boop and South Park . Gambling is a sexy issue, so long as it does not get too complicated. The whole point of branded slots is to tap in to our warm, fuzzy feelings of nostalgia. But it is relatively new to legal gambling.
Regulators face a myriad of problems when an issue like kiddie-theme slots is raised in the press.
It would be natural to think the first question to be resolved is whether the problem really exists This is not as easy as it seems. It is very difficult to show that something is true beyond any doubt, like the claim that certain games create underage gambling. But it is nearly impossible to prove the opposite, that something is not true. For a politically explosive issue like this, regulators will, often unconsciously, follow the path with the least downside risk to themselves. If regulators ban certain slots that should not have been banned, the loss to casinos, manufacturers and players is small and difficult to measure.