In a highly unusual move, Leon Circuit Judge John Cooper is reversing a previous ruling that so-called “pre-reveal” video games often found in bars and convenience stores are not illegal slot machines.
Gator Coin insisted it was offering entertainment because players knew the outcome before each game. But Cooper said he is more persuaded by state regulators and the Seminole Tribe of Florida that players were betting on an eventual win.
“The state’s case and the friend of the court’s case on rehearing is the better argument. I believe that I got it wrong the first time around.”
At stake were millions of dollars the Seminoles pay for exclusive rights to offer slots outside of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. But Cooper said it was a political question that had nothing to do with his decision. An appeal is all but certain.
