The Iowa Lottery is taking steps to address one of the complaints against the TouchPlay machines. One of the questions raised about the machines is how to keep people under the age of 21 from playing them. State Racing and Gaming Commission chair Diane Hamilton of Storm Lake raised that concern this week, saying it would be tough in a crowded bar to regulate the machines.
The Iowa Lottery now says it will test market equipment that would require a player to insert their driver’s license into the machine to verify their age before they could play. Lottery C-E-O Ed Stanek says they plan to install the devices on 10 machines to test them and see if they work.
Supporters of the machines said Friday there’s been no cases of anyone who is underage playing the machines.The Iowa Lottery estimates TouchPlay machines will generate about 30-million dollars in revenues for the state in the current fiscal year.