佐治亚州参议院通过投币游艺机行业改革法案

佐治亚州立法者已通过改革该州投币式游艺机行业的立法，并将其送交州长布莱恩·坎普批准。该法案旨在通过奖励可在全州范围内使用的非现金兑换礼品卡来遏制非法现金支付，而不是将兑换限制在机器所在的商店。修订后的法案还将该州的收入份额从 10% 提高到 13%，预计每年为教育项目带来 4000 万美元的收入。然而，一些参议员表示反对，认为这些游戏侵害了穷人并侵蚀了佐治亚州的价值观，而另一些参议员则对与佐治亚州彩票相比收入份额较低表示担忧。

Georgia Senate Approves Coin-Operated Amusement Machine Reform Bill

佐治亚州参议院批准投币式游艺机改革法案

Atlanta, Georgia - A significant legislative measure designed to reform the coin-operated amusement machine industry in Georgia has cleared the state Senate and is now on its way to Governor Brian Kemp's desk for signing.

佐治亚州亚特兰大 - 旨在改革佐治亚州投币式游艺机行业的一项重大立法措施已获得州参议院批准，目前正在送交州长布莱恩·肯普 (Brian Kemp) 签署。

House Bill 353, which garnered 29 votes in favor and 24 against in the 56-member Senate, represents the minimum threshold for legislative passage. The bill subsequently gained further support in the House, passing by a considerably wider margin of 148 to 18.

众议院第 353 号法案在 56 名议员的参议院中获得 29 票赞成、24 票反对，代表了立法通过的最低门槛。该法案随后在众议院获得进一步支持，以 148 比 18 的较大优势通过。

At the heart of the legislation lies a crucial change to the redemption system for winnings. Currently, winners can only exchange their winnings for merchandise offered at the establishment housing the coin-operated amusement machine. However, under the proposed reform, non-cash redemption gift cards would be introduced, allowing recipients to redeem them for any legal product at any location across Georgia.

该立法的核心是对奖金兑换制度的重大改变。目前，获奖者只能用他们的奖金兑换投币游艺机所在场所提供的商品。然而，根据拟议的改革，将引入非现金兑换礼品卡，允许接收者在佐治亚州任何地点将其兑换为任何合法产品。

Proponents of the bill contend that this shift will mitigate the temptation for illegal cash payouts, which have long plagued the coin-operated amusement machine industry and fueled associated criminal activity.

该法案的支持者认为，这一转变将减轻非法现金支付的诱惑，非法现金支付长期以来一直困扰着投币式游艺机行业并助长了相关的犯罪活动。

The Senate amended the bill during its Tuesday evening session to increase the state's revenue share from coin-operated amusement machines from 10% to 13%. This additional 3% is projected to generate an estimated $40 million annually, earmarked for Georgia's HOPE Scholarships and pre-kindergarten programs, according to Senator Clint Dixon (R-Buford), the bill's sponsor in the Senate.

参议院在周二晚上的会议上修改了该法案，将州投币式游艺机的收入份额从 10% 提高到 13%。该法案的参议院发起人参议员克林特·迪克森 (R-Buford) 表示，预计这额外的 3% 每年将产生约 4000 万美元，专门用于佐治亚州的 HOPE 奖学金和学前班项目。

Despite these proposed reforms, the bill has faced substantial opposition from senators who question both the morality of coin-operated amusement machine games and the appropriate percentage of revenue allocated to the state.

尽管提出了这些改革建议，该法案还是遭到了参议员的强烈反对，他们质疑投币式游艺机游戏的道德性以及分配给国家的适当比例的收入。

Senator Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) expressed concern that the industry targets vulnerable individuals, luring them into false hopes of substantial winnings. "The machines are programmed to ensure that you cannot win," he emphasized.

参议员比尔·考塞特（雅典共和党）表示担心，该行业以弱势群体为目标，诱使他们抱有获得巨额奖金的虚假希望。 “机器的编程是为了确保你无法获胜，”他强调说。

Echoing this sentiment, Senator Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) condemned the perceived erosion of Georgia's values. "We are sacrificing our very soul," he lamented.

参议员兰迪·罗伯逊（R-Cataula）呼应了这一观点，谴责了佐治亚州价值观受到的侵蚀。 “我们正在牺牲我们的灵魂，”他感叹道。

Senator Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) raised concerns about the bill's potential impact on the Georgia Lottery program. He noted that the amended 13% return would grant the state a significantly lower share of revenue compared to the lottery, which typically contributes roughly 25% of its proceeds to HOPE and pre-k programs.

参议员查克·赫夫斯特勒（罗马共和党）对该法案对佐治亚州彩票计划的潜在影响表示担忧。他指出，与彩票相比，修改后的 13% 回报率将使该州获得的收入份额明显降低，彩票通常将其收益的约 25% 用于 HOPE 和学前教育项目。

The bill's fate now lies in the hands of Governor Kemp, who has the authority to sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature. The outcome of this legislative process has significant implications for the regulation of coin-operated amusement machines in Georgia and the allocation of revenue generated by the industry.

该法案的命运现在掌握在肯普州长手中，他有权将其签署为法律、否决它或允许其在未经他签名的情况下成为法律。这一立法过程的结果对乔治亚州投币式游艺机的监管以及该行业收入的分配具有重大影响。