TouchPlay

There is a proposed amendment in the Iowa House that would allow the Iowa Lottery's TouchPlay machines to remain in establishments with "certain state liquor licenses" according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The way I am reading this article, it seems that these establishments would be bars and other places exclusively for adults. I think that this is a good solution to the issue regarding the machines. Currently all TouchPlay machines are set to be removed from all locations by some time next month, however the business which provide the machines are going to be losing a lot of money if this happens.

I had seen these machines in some bars several months before I heard any debate over the slot-machine-like devices. I think that if they had stayed there and not spread to grocery and convenience stores, people would not have taken am much of an issue with them. It seems that most of the comments I have heard about the TouchPlay machines is that parents do not want their children exposed to them. Limiting them to bars and other adult establishments would take care of this, unless of course some parent takes their children to a bar, but then they are choosing to do so.

Of course, there are those who will still be opposed to TouchPlay machines being in adult establishments, but I would imagine that those people are going to be opposed to gambling as a whole, and not just concerned about this issue. Whatever the legislature does, hopefully they can get this resolved once and for all so they can get some real work done.