Gambling machines will be inspected by state
May 23, 2007 15:38 EDT


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The state attorney general says thousands of gambling machines cropping up across the state will be inspected to determine whether they are legal.

Attorney General Marc Dann says local governments are unsure of the guidelines that determine if the machines are legal and skill-based, or illegal games of chance.

Dann's office is hiring an independent expert to determine whether the games meet the legal threshold of being at least 51 percent skill based. The inspection cost will be paid by the games' manufacturers.

The announcement comes amid a state crackdown on gambling machines like Tic Tac Fruit, in which players bet on the game's outcome then use a tic-tac-toe grid to try to align pieces of fruit in a row.