Slot Machines or Phone Chargers, What's the Deal?

There seems to be a new trend brewing that the law enforcement agents in Wisconsin are trying to stop following the same idea that appeared in Atlanta nearly 6 months ago. Gas stations are now housing so called charging stations that cost money and once the innocent user has entered money to charge his phone he is invited to play a promotional game that is very similar to a slot machine and from this he can win hundreds of dollars supposedly. Gambling is illegal in Wisconsin and around the whole state but that does not stop some clever people trying to get around the law and these new Pow'r Up Machines are the latest way to get around the law.

Charging to Charge with a Promotional Extra

The idea behind these machines that are under investigation is that a trucker or even traveler stops for a cup of coffee and a break at the gas station where he can also charge his phone. The phone charging is not for free and it actually costs up to $1 a minute which is a huge amount of money to charge a phone. What is really behind the idea is that the video gambling machines that open up for a so called promotional play once the phone is charging and the payment has been made. Every dollar deposit gives the player 100 entries to the promotional game, which is basically 100 spins and they are definitely not free spins. Gambling in this way is totally illegal in Wisconsin and many other states. Agents are now visiting many gas stations to try and find these so called charging machines and stop the illegal gambling.

Loopholes in the Law

But as complicated as the law is, there are also loopholes and owners of these charging stations that are now being mockingly called gasinos are fighting back and claiming that there is nothing illegal about them. The visitor to the gas station is voluntarily choosing to charge his phone for a cost and at the same time he gains entry to a great promotional game where he can win money as a result. It does seem strange that these gasinos are becoming popular when it is very easy to charge a mobile device in a car or with a power bank rather than having to pay to charge. Time will tell if these gasinos are allowed to stay or will be wiped away by the legal system. In the meantime they can still be seen in a number of gas stations around the State and in a number of other states but the lawmakers are on the lookout and there are plenty of discussions with the governors to see what can be done.