[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting
of the Town of Chelmsford 10-16-2000 by Art. 17. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
In accordance with MGL c. 140, § 177A, as
amended from time to time, any individual or business desiring to
keep and operate an automatic amusement device for hire, gain or reward
shall secure an annual license from the Select Board.
[Amended 6-17-2021 ATM by Art. 29]
B.
The Select Board shall not grant a license for any
automatic amusement device that presents a risk of misuse as a gaining
device.
[Amended 6-17-2021 ATM by Art. 29]
(1)
Automatic amusement devices which may present a risk
of misuse as gaming devices are those devices which have one or more
of the following features:
(a)
The device involves matching random numbers, patterns
or cards.
(b)
The device accumulates more than 26 plays.
(c)
The device is equipped with a "knock off" switch,
button or similar device that resets the total points won as shown
on the video screen and adds these points to a second meter and/or
recording device.
(d)
The device has a mechanism for adjusting the odds.
(e)
The device has a remote control feature that can reset
the device from another location.
(f)
The device is capable of returning money to the player,
other than the change for the excess amount put in.
(g)
The device permits a player to pay for more than one
game at a time.
(2)
Each game on the device shall cost exactly the same
amount for each player, and no player may change any aspect of the
game by paying a different amount than any other player before or
during the game.
(3)
There shall be no metering device that accounts for
both money/points in and money/points out.
A.
The maximum number of automatic amusement devices
allowed on any single business premises shall be four, except in the
case of duly licensed arcades and amusement parks.
B.
Any individual or business desiring more than four
automatic amusement devices on a single business premises shall require
a special license from the Select Board.
[Amended 6-17-2021 ATM by Art. 29]
A.
The enforcing authority under this chapter shall be
the Chelmsford Police Department.
B.
All licenses for automatic amusement devices granted
by the Select Board shall be subject to inspection by the Chelmsford
Police Department to ensure conformance with submitted application
information and local code requirements.
[Amended 6-17-2021 ATM by Art. 29]
C.
Any unlicensed automatic amusement device shall be
subject to immediate seizure by the Chelmsford Police Department.
D.
Violation of this chapter shall be liable to a penalty
of $250, with each unlicensed amusement device constituting a separate
offense.
The provisions of this chapter are declared
to be severable, and if any section, subsection, sentence, clause
or part thereof is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional
by a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect
the validity of any remaining sections, subsections, sentences, clauses
or part of the chapter.
{END OF CHAPTER}
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