The Amusement and Music Owners Association of New York (AMOA-NY) began its campaign for the “extended-play” bill three years ago. Now, the new legislation differentiates gambling from coin-op amusement devices, clarifying that “extras” on amusement devices should not be considered “something of value” as on a gambling device.

In September 2008, then governor David Paterson vetoed an earlier version of the bill, which had received unanimous support from both bodies of the New York state government. Investigations revealed that there were concerns on the part of anti-gambling forces within the New York State Police. Paterson cited a worry that extra time on pinball machines or video games could threaten the public’s safety.

A combination of trade association legal advisors, the state police and the governor revised the bill’s wording to appease law enforcement. AMOA-NY president Ken Goldberg believes the amended law might clear the way to new types of amusement and skill games, including skill-with-prize (SWP) systems that run tournaments and award cash prizes.

It is the industry’s second victory within little more than a year. In late 2009, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg signed legislation that raised the number of legal coin-op games that could be installed in the city’s public locations without an arcade licence from four to nine. The law became effective on 28 March 2010.

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