Unusual slot photo

[coppinpr]

Over the years I've kept a record of all the many photos of slots being seized or broken up by the US gov agents, but I've never seen this one before. Am I right in thinking that is a crane in the middle? And to the left is a multitude of crane parts? I think I can also see a "Paces Races" mech in there as well. What a crime
A coin operated crane was considered a gambling machine? In the UK you could have successfully argued it as a game of skill for sure.

[pennymachines]

I'm afraid you couldn't. Some did try, but unuccessfully.
Cranes (or diggers) were almost immediately declared to be gambling machines in the UK. See introductory text in the Museum: "The Gaming Board considered the skill element negligible and categorised them as gambling."

You can see a 1953 attempt to reverse the USA position (to permit interstate transport of such machines): United States v. 24 Digger Merchandising Machines Etc.
The ruling was:

Where a substantial element of chance is involved, it appears to us that the fact that skill in operating the particular machine is helpful in attaining the end sought does not take the machine out of the type defined by the statute.

The Gambling Commission of Great Britain's current classification of these games is: Non-complex cat D gaming machines (crane grabs)

[clubconsoles]

Looks like they were confiscating pretty much anything that was coin operated.
There was a huge clean up of corruption going on in NY at the time.
How is a Mutoscope old mill candy vendor gambling?
Probably a few candy chocolate vending machines amongst that lot?

[pennymachines]

How is a Mutoscope old mill candy vendor gambling?

The Mike Munves Corp. catalogue of 1940 describes this machine as the “Closest machine to digger in operation. Coin releases wheel which player turns. Wheel scoop drops prize and candy to player.”
I suppose there was an element of chance in how much candy was scooped out.
Alternatively, if it contained a mix of more valuable small prizes...

Further to my comments above, from Jim Roller's site:

A few diggers of the Deco Era category were built during and after World War II, but in 1951 a new Federal Law, the Johnson Interstate Transportation Act, classified all diggers as “Gambling Devices” and electric diggers, of Deco style, were frozen in time. Following this sudden ending a group of carnival digger operators was successful in having their type of diggers reclassified as “Amusement Devices” in 1953, but this type had no electric motors and no coin slots. Consequently, there were no more of the “Deco Era” cranes and diggers produced after 1951.

[clubconsoles]

Thank you Pennymachines, for the detailed and historical info in your reply.
It just goes to show the lengths these US manufacturers would go to to disguise a gambling game.
Mints, gumballs, future pay and checks on bandits.
Many also had fortune/ number/ animal reel strips all designed to delay the inevitable (Seizure of the machine)!
Some did subvert the law for a few months, others were unsuccessful.
Fascinating period for coin op collectors!

[coppinpr]

Another nice photo ,but the first thing that always comes to mind when I see one of these postcards is "how could you consentrate on playing blackjack with all that noise going on behind you?" but then again,was that the cunning plan?