Video lottery terminal

A video lottery terminal (VLT), also sometimes known as a video gaming terminal (VGT), video slots, or the video lottery, is a type of electronic gambling machine. They are typically operated by a region's lottery, and situated at licensed establishments such as bars and restaurants.

VLTs typically feature a selection of multiple games, primarily video slot machines and Keno. Their exact operation depends on local law: many VLTs are stand-alone devices containing a random number generator. Each terminal is connected to a centralized computer system that allows the lottery jurisdiction to monitor gameplay and collect its share of revenue. The outcome of each wager on a VLT is random. VLT operators are not able to program the total amount wagered, or payouts, through the central computer system. A minimum percentage payout usually is written into that jurisdiction's law. That percentage is realized not by manipulation of the game, but by adjusting the expected overall payout.

In some jurisdictions, VLTs do not contain a random number generator, and display results from a fixed pool controlled by the central system (in similar fashion to scratch-off lottery tickets).

VLT programs are operated in nine Canadian provinces, with the only major exception being British Columbia. These machines are typically governed by the region's lottery and gaming boards, and are situated inside licensed establishments such as bars.^[1] In several provinces, VLTs were deployed primarily to help counter illegal underground video gambling operations, while several (particularly those whose economies are reliant on natural resources) cited economic development as a factor in their use.^[1]

VLTs were first popularized in Atlantic Canada, with New Brunswick becoming the first province to introduce them in 1990, and the other Atlantic provinces following suit in 1991. In New Brunswick, sites were initially limited to a maximum of five machines each, and they were later removed from locations that did not hold liquor licenses. Since 2002, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation has been fully responsible for all VLT operations in the province, rather than having their costs covered by private owner-operators. The ALC had already operated the VLT programs in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia since their launch, while Prince Edward Island transferred its VLTs to the ALC in 2003.^[1] Quebec introduced VLTs in 1994.^[1]

VLTs also began to appear in Western Canada in 1991, with Alberta trialling them during the Calgary Stampede and Klondike Days events before beginning a province-wide program the following year. Manitoba initially deployed them at rural locations only, but expanded them to Winnipeg in 1993, and the Assiniboia Downs race track.^[1] Saskatchewan introduced VLTs in 1993, primarily to encourage business at establishments in smaller communities (which faced competition from out-of-province casinos, prior to the opening of several commercial and First Nations casinos in the province).^[1] Saskatchewan's VLT program also includes games offering regional and province-wide "Vault Breaker" mystery progressive jackpots.^[2]

Um problematischem Spielverhalten entgegenzuwirken , sind Video-Lotterie-Terminals (VLTs) in Kanada im Vergleich zu herkömmlichen Spielautomaten in Casinos in der Regel mit zusätzlichen Sicherheitsvorkehrungen und -beschränkungen ausgestattet. Dazu gehören die Anzeige des Spielerguthabens als Geldwert anstatt als Währungseinheit, die Anzeige der aktuellen Uhrzeit auf dem Bildschirm, maximale Spieldauern mit obligatorischer Auszahlung nach Ablauf der Zeit, begrenzte Betriebszeiten, kein Stoppknopf (zur Regulierung des Spieltempos), Einsatzlimits, Limits für Einzahlungen pro Spielsitzung sowie Informationen zu Hilfsangeboten bei Spielsucht. ^{[ 1 ]} Einige VLTs bieten zudem integrierte Kontosysteme zur Nutzungsverfolgung und zur Festlegung von Ausgabenlimits. ^{[ 3 ]} Im Jahr 2012 führte Nova Scotia die Pflicht zur Registrierung bei einem Kontokartensystem namens My-Play für die Nutzung von VLTs ein. Die Regierung stellte das System 2014 wieder ein, da die anonyme Registrierung ohne Angabe persönlicher Daten („Light-Registrierung“) den Zweck des Systems untergraben habe – viele Spieler nutzten die Karten nur kurzzeitig, bevor sie sie entsorgten. Die Regierung behauptete, durch die Abschaffung des Systems jährlich 200.000 US-Dollar einzusparen. ^{[ 4 ] [ 5 ]}

Jede Provinz hat die Anzahl der in ihrer Provinz betriebenen Videolotterieautomaten (VLTs) begrenzt. Nova Scotia hat ein Moratorium für neue VLT-Standorte verhängt und die bestehenden Standorte außerhalb von Reservaten der First Nations schrittweise abgebaut (VLTs werden dauerhaft außer Betrieb genommen, wenn ein Standort schließt oder entfernt wird). In den 2000er Jahren hat Alberta einige seiner VLTs umverteilt, um die zulässige Anzahl an bestimmten Standorten zu erhöhen und so die Gesamtzahl der betriebenen Standorte zu reduzieren. Einige Provinzen haben zudem Regelungen, die es einzelnen Gemeinden erlauben, VLTs in ihren Gebieten zu verbieten. ^{[ 1 ] [ 3 ] [ 6 ]} Zehn Gemeinden in Alberta entschieden sich bei Einführung des Programms gegen die Teilnahme, einige (wie beispielsweise Coaldale, Alberta ) haben jedoch inzwischen Verordnungen erlassen, um das Verbot aufzuheben. ^{[ 7 ]} Im Januar 2017 kündigte Quebec an, seine Videolotterieautomaten (VLTs) in ähnlicher Weise umzuverteilen und ihre Anzahl in den nächsten zwei Jahren von 12.000 auf unter 10.000 zu reduzieren. Dazu gehört, die Anzahl der Standorte und Automaten in einer Region proportional zur Bevölkerungszahl zu gestalten und sich darauf zu konzentrieren, sie in Freizeiteinrichtungen wie Billardhallen und Bowlingbahnen aufzustellen , um „Geselligkeit und Gruppenunterhaltung zu fördern“. ^{[ 8 ]}

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), a long hold-out, introduced VLTs branded as "Tap 'N Play" (formerly "TapTix") in the mid-2010's.^[9] Unlike the VLTs in other Canadian jurisdictions, they are deployed at charity gaming centres rather than licensed establishments,^[10] and based on the outcomes of a bingo or pull-tab game, using slots as an entertainment display (similarly to "Class II" gaming devices used at some tribal casinos in the United States).^[9][10][11] OLG deployed the machines as part of a modernization program for Ontario's charity bingo halls; in turn, some of these halls rebranded themselves as gaming centres to emphasize the machines, and widen their appeal to young adult patrons who are not usually associated with bingo.^[10][11]

The Moncton, New Brunswick-based Spielo has been heavily involved in the Canadian VLT market; it was acquired in 2004 by GTECH Corporation, which was in turn acquired by Lottomatica of Italy, which then acquired and merged with IGT in 2015.^[12] Alberta and the Atlantic Lottery both deployed modernizations to their VLT networks in the early-2010s, entering into supply deals with multiple gaming vendors, collectively including Aristocrat, and the present IGT (IGT, Spielo) and Scientific Games (Bally Technologies and WMS, now Light & Wonder).^[13]

The Atlantic Lottery's VLT program has been subject to criticism, due to concerns from residents that the readily-accessible games exacerbate gambling addiction; in 2017, a class-action lawsuit against the ALC was certified in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, citing that the machines are "inherently deceptive, inherently addictive and inherently dangerous when used as intended", and were comparable to three-card monte—a con that is illegal under the Criminal Code. The plaintiffs sought damages equivalent to the ALC's alleged unlawful gains.^[14][15][16] In July 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned a decision by the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador that would have allowed the suit to move forward, ruling that the suit made insufficient arguments that VLTs were effectively equivalent to three-card monte.^[17]

Lotteries in the U.S. were considering VLTs as early as 1981, when a planned experiment with 20 machines by the New York State Lottery was scrapped, after the Attorney General determined they would be illegal.^[18] A similar plan by the New Jersey Lottery died in 1983 after ties between state officials and VLT manufacturers raised conflict of interest concerns.^[19]

The first VLTs in the country were installed in late 1983 by Bellevue, Nebraska as part of its municipal lottery. Eleven other local lotteries in Nebraska followed suit, until the state banned the devices, effective 1985.^[20]

South Dakota became on October 16, 1989, the first state to adopt VLTs. In a unique arrangement with private industry, the machines are owned by private companies but monitored by the South Dakota Lottery via a centralized computer system that assures the integrity of the games. South Dakota imposes a substantial tax on the net income (gross income minus player winnings) of the games. Beginning in 1992, four attempts were made to repeal South Dakota's video lottery; all were widely rejected by public votes. Most recently, in May 2006, petitions were filed containing over 21,000 signatures in order to place the issue on the November ballot; voters again agreed to keep video lottery, by a 66%-34% margin.

Zu den anderen US-Bundesstaaten mit legaler Videolotterie gehören: Oregon , Illinois , Rhode Island , Delaware , New York , Ohio , West Virginia , Louisiana , Maryland , Montana und ehemals South Carolina . Delaware, Rhode Island und West Virginia nahmen zuvor an einer bundesstaatenübergreifenden Videolotterie namens Cashola teil .

Auf den Amerikanischen Jungferninseln gibt es ebenfalls eine legalisierte Videolotterie, die von Southland Gaming of the Virgin Islands betrieben wird. Die lokalen Regierungen von St. Thomas und St. John verwenden die Einnahmen aus der Videolotterie zur Finanzierung verschiedener staatlicher Programme auf den Inseln, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf Bildungsmaßnahmen liegt.

Im Jahr 1990 führte West Virginia das Konzept der Rennbahnen (Racinos) ein , als es der MTR Gaming Group erlaubte , Spielautomaten (VLTs) im Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort in Chester zu installieren .

Racinos unterscheiden sich von traditionellen VLTs dadurch, dass alle Videolotteriespiele an einem Spielautomaten gespielt werden.

Weitere Bundesstaaten, die VLTs in Rennbahnen legalisiert haben, sind Delaware , Rhode Island , Louisiana , New York , Ohio und West Virginia .

In Montana ist der Betrieb von Videolotterieautomaten (VLT) für Poker, Keno und Bingo im privaten Sektor legal. Seit den 1970er Jahren war Montana neben Nevada und New Jersey der erste Bundesstaat, der Glücksspielautomaten legalisierte.

Keno- und Bingoautomaten wurden 1975 in Montana eingeführt. Obwohl sie zunächst Gegenstand rechtlicher Auseinandersetzungen waren, wurden sie 1976 für legal erklärt, nachdem der Oberste Gerichtshof von Montana zugunsten von Treasure State Games, einem privaten Unternehmen, das die ersten Spiele dieser Art in den Bundesstaat gebracht hatte, entschieden hatte. (Siehe Justia.com – Treasure State Games gegen den Staat Montana)

Anders als in anderen Bundesstaaten unterliegen die Spielautomaten nicht der Zuständigkeit der staatlichen Lotterie. Im Jahr 2011 fügte das Landesparlament der Liste der zugelassenen Spiele eine weitere Spielkategorie, die sogenannten „Linienspiele“, hinzu.

Alle Betriebe in Montana, die über eine Schanklizenz verfügen, dürfen solche Automaten betreiben, sofern sie die erforderlichen Genehmigungen besitzen. Darüber hinaus gibt es in Montana einige Betriebe (z. B. manche Raststätten), die keine Schanklizenz besitzen, aber über eine Bestandsschutzgenehmigung verfügen, die ihnen den Betrieb von Spielautomaten erlaubt.

Der maximale Gewinn an diesen Automaten beträgt 800 US-Dollar, der maximale Einsatz pro Spiel 2 US-Dollar. Das Mindestalter für Glücksspiele in Montana beträgt 18 Jahre, allerdings ist das Spielen in Bars für Personen unter 21 Jahren verboten.

As in Louisiana, gaming machines in Montana operate outside the jurisdiction of the state lottery system.^[21]

Currently, only Oregon and South Dakota employ Class III gaming technology (incorporating a random number generator) into their VLT games. Oregon's VLT program was modeled upon those deployed in Canada.^[1] The devices operated in Montana are also Class III machines, but as they are not connected to the Montana Lottery are technically not "video lottery terminals". This means that unlike any of the Class II states (which have a fixed number of winners, analogous to scratch cards), Oregon and South Dakota lottery players compete against a house edge rather than other lottery players. This is the same type of gaming offered in Nevada, Connecticut and Atlantic City, New Jersey as well as in the majority of tribal casinos. Currently, the state of Oregon offers its players a 91-95% payout on each of its games. South Dakota and Montana law specifies that payouts must be greater than 80%, although in reality actual payouts in these two jurisdictions are around 88-92%.

Most US jurisdictions do not allow VLTs and those that do have attracted the same criticism the Canadian provinces have. However, some non-players have expressed tolerance for the machines.^[22]

In certain jurisdictions, VLTs are known as video gaming devices (VGD) or video slot machines along with video gaming terminals (VGT). Most VLTs are multi-game devices, allowing the players to select, from an on-screen menu, the games they wish to play. They are also known as poker machines,video poker machines, and fruit machines in some areas.^[23]

• Fixed odds betting terminal
• Slot machine
• Video poker

• VLTs: Nova Scotia's Billion Dollar Gamble An investigative website on VLTs in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia prepared by University of King's College students.