I want to let you know about a couple of bills filed at the Capitol in Little Rock this week that may concern many Arkansans.
The first bill is Senate Bill 745. It amends Arkansas’ so-called “Chuck-E-Cheese Law” by increasing the maximum value of each prize a person may claim for playing coin-operated games.
You’re probably familiar with businesses like Chuck-E-Cheese that allow children to win tickets by playing coin-operated games like skee ball; the tickets can be redeemed for toys or other prizes.
In the mid-1990’s the Arkansas legislature passed a law intended to let family-oriented businesses like Chuck-E-Cheese offer small prizes for these games without allowing full-fledged casinos in Arkansas. To do so, the legislature capped the maximum value of each prize the business offers at $12.50.
Currently, family-oriented businesses like Chuck-E-Cheese may let people play coin-operated games for prizes, provided that the prizes are worth no more than $12.50. S.B. 745 raises that maximum value from $12.50 to $850.
This makes it more likely miniature casinos will open in communities around the state, letting adults play coin-operated games for prizes worth up to $850.
Pool halls with coin-operated pool tables could let people shoot pool for prizes worth up to $850. Gas stations and grocery stores could install “game rooms” in which people play games similar to slot-machines for prizes.
Because the bill does not limit the number of prizes a person may claim, a person could receive multiple $850 prizes for playing.
These issues are similar to the concerns raised over the video lottery games the Arkansas Lottery Commission tried to implement last year. In both cases, Arkansans were concerned bars, gas stations, convenience stores, and other businesses would operate miniature casinos in which people pay to play games for prizes.
The second bill is Senate Bill 771, allowing large grocery stores to sell more wine. Currently, grocery stores in Arkansas may sell farm wines produced in Arkansas. This means wineries like those owned by the Post family may sell wines on a limited basis through stores like Walmart.
S.B. 771 lets any store with at least 10,000 square feet of space dedicated to groceries sell wines as they see fit—provided the store is located in a wet county. This means large stores like Kroger’s and Walmart may expand their wine sections, selling large quantities of wines produced in California or elsewhere around the country; it also means small grocery stores would not be eligible to sell these wines.
In addition to letting these stores sell wine, it also lets the stores give samples of the wine in-store for marketing purposes.
Many people are concerned about the expansion of alcohol sales in Arkansas as well as the expansion of gambling.
If you would like to share your thoughts on S.B. 745 or S.B. 771 with your legislators, you can leave a message for your state senator at (501) 682-2902 and for your state representative at (501) 682-6211.
