Aussie laws gone crazy

[treefrog]

Although this is not new to people on here or our Aussie cousins, I found this two year old article from a NSW gazette about how the police see older antique machines as a more serious risk. Even included in this are parts, even just owning the graphics from one, with fines up to $11000 or 12 months in jail.....

I wonder how many classic machines have actually been destroyed and rare ones like maybe a Coronet or two

Kerching! Old pokie could cost $11,000
Illawarra Mercury, 2nd Sept, 2014

[arrgee]

Extract from article:

"It is even illegal to own components, art work or boards from old machines."

Sgt Keevers said the NSW Gaming Machines Act of 2001 effectively outlawed older mechanical machines, and restricted the ownership of newer electronic machines to pubs, clubs and hotels. Offences can carry 12 months imprisonment, an $11,000 fine, or both.

Police monitor online marketplaces including eBay and Gumtree, and attend auctions, to track the sale and purchase of machines.

"The older the machine, the more serious the offence actually is," he said.

Strewth................. any comment Gamewat!

[gameswat]

I live on the other side of the country Arrgee and pokies were never legal here until recent times, so there's never been that many floating around like on the east coast. A friend advertised a mid 1970's 20 cent machine openly a decade ago and had it confiscated because a gaming cop happened to see it in the paper, but they didn't care about the older machines he had in his collection that took pre decimal coinage. And my father had a nice old 6d machine taken by the plod from our garage in the late 1970's when we had a fire and they spotted it. The old 6d is the same size as our decimal 5 cents which is still in use today. I like such old machines there's no issue with me as they are all well and truly on obsolete coinage.

[ddstoys]

Yeah, our laws are stupid unless you're an actual criminal - they can get away with most shit and get out on bail. hahaha

[downunda]

I've not heard of anyone being actually busted in WA, but there is plenty of chatter about how careful we have to be.

I saw a speeding infringement notice from Queensland for 61 in a 60 zone the other day, so that's a good hint just how wacked our law makers are (and that was Kilometers per hour!)

[andydotp]

Sorry for the late response but would like to contribute my two (old) penny's-worth.
Way back in the early nineties when I decided I wanted to buy old one-armed bandits - antique ones, not ex-club Aristocrats from over the border in NSW (I'm VIC), I sought advice from the Gov't gambling regulator and was granted a permit for 6 machines. It was later extended to 12 then 20 as my obsession grew.
A bit like some States in America that do or don't allow ownership.
FFS, I mean, this is 2017. Surely there are more things for the Gov't to worry about than someone having an old bandit in their house? Apparently it would appear not. UNLESS YOU LIVE IN CANBERRA/ACT where its fine and even all the Aussie pron is made.
Double standards or what?
Anyone up for a lovely, rare Mills Cast Iron Operator's Bell - one of less than fifty still in existence? Or a Poinsettia from Tony Cornero's bar in Nevada when they were constructing the Hoover Dam?
PM if interested - my 'babies' have to go.
Cheers,
Andy.

[skippy]

An old fella told me a funny story a while back.

He said many years ago when he lived in Victoria he had a machine in his house that he was using as a money box to save for some baby equipment. He got busted and the machine was confiscated. When he went to court the judge agreed that the laws were crazy but said that he still needed to fine him. He said that the money inside belonged to him so he was to go down to the police station and retrieve it. When it was taken away the machine was locked and when he went down to pull the money out he realised there was way more in it than when it was confiscated. The plods had been playing it at the station and losing all their money. He said there was enough to cover the original purchase price, the fine and a tidy profit.