The State of Iowa is getting closer to settling another lawsuit over the Touchplay machine. The Iowa Lottery Board went into closed session today to discuss the board’s lawsuit over Touchplay money owed by the Camden Company of Cedar Rapids.
The state banned TouchPlay machines in May of 2006, after concerns that the games were too much like slot machines, which are only allowed in casinos. The lottery board approved a settlement after returning to open session. Iowa Lottery spokeswoman, Mary Neubauer, explains the board’s decision.
"The Lottery is agreeing to dismiss its claim against Camden pending a general settlement of the litigation involving all parties to the lawsuit to be negotiated by the Attorney General’s Office and subject to approval of the state appeal board," Neubauer says. The Iowa Attorney General’s office says Camden owed the Iowa Lottery nearly $500,000, but Neubauer could not say how much is involved in the settlement.
Neubauer says the entire settlement is not yet negotiated, or final. Bob Brammer, a spokesman for the Attorney General, says they’re still negotiating the terms of the settlement and will release those terms once they’ve been approved. The state has already reached settlements to pay Royal Financial 1.7-million dollars, and B&B Games of Ankeny $388,000.
Royal Financial owned about 16-hundred TouchPlay machines in Kum ‘N Go stores across the state — just about a quarter of the machines that were operating when lawmakers ended TouchPlay. There are still suits pending in Polk and Scott Counties.