ARTICLE II. - AMUSEMENT DEVICES AND GAME ROOMS
Part of the Code of Ordinances of Scituate, RI.
The text
FOOTNOTE(S):
--- (2) --- refcharter or refcross or refstatelaw State Law reference— Pinball and game room licensing, G.L. 1956, § 5-2-10.
Sec. 6-26. - Definitions.#
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Amusement device or game shall be defined as any mechanical, electric, electronic or video device used or designed to be operated for entertainment or as a game by the insertion of a coin, slug, token, plate or disk or in similar fashion, whether or not registering a score and whether or not its operation demands skill or chance or both. It shall include but not be limited to such devices as marble machines, pinball machines, skillball, mechanical grab or displayed games, air games, video display or computer games, so-called and all games similar thereto under whatever name they may be called.
Game room means any establishment containing four (4) or more amusement games.
Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-8-82, §§ 2, 3)
Cross reference— Comment Text (parent not a footnote)Definitions and rules of construction generally, § 1-2.
Sec. 6-27. - Penalty for violations.#
Any person violating any of the provisions of this article, in addition to the revocation of his license, shall be liable to the provisions of section 1-4.
Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-8-82, § 14)
Sec. 6-28. - License required.#
No person shall keep for public patronage any amusement device or game within the town without a license from the town.
Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-8-82, § 1)
Sec. 6-29. - Application for license; fee; sticker.#
(a)
Application for a license required by this article shall be made to the town council upon a form to be supplied by the town clerk. The fee for a license is fifty dollars ($50.00) per machine and twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per pool table per year commencing on January 1st of each year and expiring on December 31st of each year. The town clerk shall issue a sticker to be attached to such machine on a yearly basis.
(b)
An applicant for a license shall upon filing the application form pay an application fee of ten dollars ($10.00) and an advertising fee. The town clerk shall forward each new application to the chief of police for his report to the town council and a public hearing will be held on the application after notice in a local newspaper for three (3) weeks. The application for such license shall contain the following information:
(1)
Name and address of the applicant, age, date and place of birth;
(2)
Prior convictions of applicant, if any;
(3)
Place where machine or device is to be operated and the business conducted at that place; and
(4)
Description of machine to be covered by the license, name of manufacturer and serial number.
Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-8-82, §§ 4, 6; Ord. of 1-13-94)
Sec. 6-30. - Number of licenses limited, variance.#
No more than three (3) licenses shall be issued under this article for any one (1) establishment, except that an establishment wishing to operate four (4) or more amusement games must first obtain a variance or special exception from the zoning board of review.
Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-8-82, § 5)
Sec. 6-31. - Transfer of license.#
(a)
A license issued under this article shall not be transferrable from person to person or place to place and shall be usable only at the place and by the person designated in the license.
(b)
A license may be transferred from one (1) machine or device to another similar machine upon application to the town clerk to such effect and giving of a description and a serial number of the new machine or device. Not more than one (1) machine shall be operated under one (1) license and the applicant or licensee shall be required to secure a license for each and every machine displayed or operated by him.
Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-8-82, §§ 7, 8)
Sec. 6-32. - Revocation of license.#
Every license issued under this article is subject to the right, which is hereby expressly reserved, to revoke the same should the licensee, directly or indirectly, permit the operation of any mechanical or electrical amusement device contrary to the provisions of this article or state law. Such license may be revoked by the town council after written notice of hearing to the licensee, which notice shall specify the article or law violations with which the licensee is charged and, after a hearing, if the licensee is found to be guilty of such violations. Ten (10) days' notice of the hearing shall be given the licensee.
Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-8-82, § 12)
Sec. 6-33. - Play by minors.#
No person holding a license under this article shall permit persons under the age of sixteen (16) years to play or operate any amusement device or machine unless such person is accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-8-82, § 9)
Sec. 6-34. - Proximity to schools.#
No license required by this article shall be issued for any location which is within one thousand (1,000) feet from a school building as measured from the closest point of the school building to the main entrance of the building in which the game room or amusement machines or devices are located.
Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-8-82, § 10)
Sec. 6-35. - Days, hours of operation.#
No game room or amusement machines shall be operated on Sunday. No game room or amusement devices shall be operated after the hours of 10:00 p.m. or before 12:00 noon. This section shall not apply to establishments which hold a Class B tavern license. Such establishments may keep their game rooms and amusement machines open for operation during the hours which their Class B license permits them to be open.
Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-8-82, § 11)
Sec. 6-36. - Seizure of machines used for gambling.#
If the chief of police shall have reason to believe that any amusement device is used as a gambling device, such device may be seized by the police and impounded and if upon trial of the exhibitor for allowing it to be used as a gambling device, such exhibitor is found guilty, such machine shall be destroyed by the police.
Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-8-82, § 13)