Bank Shot is a skill-based amusement game that's very popular in the state of Nebraska.

Stephanie Maser of Critters Bar in Lincoln Says She Won’t Bring Back Bankshot Gaming Machines

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Unregulated gaming machines are showing up in Nebraska towns again, five years after similar machines were banned. Experts say the new machines appear similar to the older models, but have been updated to provide a different play style. Officials and bar owners disagree on whether the newer versions stay within the law.

In 2010, a gaming device called “Bankshot” became a popular gambling opportunity in Nebraska. At the time, bar owners said the Bankshot games did not violate the law, because they required skill and hand-eye coordination to win. Essentially, Bankshot was a game of skill under their definition.

Earlier Bankshot Legal Case

State-level law enforcement personnel took the case to the Nebraska state courts. The court system ruled that Bankshot violation the gaming laws of Nebraska. In their mind, the EGMs were games of chance.

The judge in the case ruled that bar owners needed to either eliminate the gaming machines from their establishments, or retool the games to add more skill elements to them. Soon enough, Bankshot disappeared from the bars and convenience stores of Nebraska.

2015 Bankshot Games

Now, newer versions of Bankshot have appeared in many of those same establishments. These EGMs are “new and bolder versions”, which are popular with patrons. Stephanie Maser, the owner of the Lincoln-area bar, Critters, says that the machines were a favorite then and they remain popular now.

Maser said, “It was a machine that got a lot of play when the jackpot was high, and not a lot of play when the jackpot was low. And people who were savvy knew how to watch for the high jackpot and only played it during those times and not when it was low.”

In the beginning after the new policies were in place, Maser had her machine updated to make it legal. In 2013, she got rid of the machine, because it was expensive.

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Stephanie Maser’s Case

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She says visitors to her store got savvy to the machine’s trends. Many would not gamble until the jackpot was high. When it was, they would flock to the machine and win big prizes. In the end, it cost her store a lot of money.

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Maser added, “The payouts were so very large. It would take in, let’s say $100. But it would pay $1000.”

Tax to Support Regulation

At the moment, state lawmakers want to tax the machines which are currently in stores. The lawmakers say regulatory oversight to know whether play on the machines is legal or illegal gets expensive. To offset those costs, they would like to collect a tax on the Bankshot machines in order to cover the costs of regulation. Officials say such a tax also would save other taxpayers money.

Stephanie Maser says she is not likely to buy another machine, due to the uneven costs and uncertain future. The additional tax only complicates matters. In her experience, Bankshot was not worth the trouble. Maser said, “It wasn’t a good mix and it wasn’t profitable for me.”

Investment in EGMs

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Mrs. Maser says that other bar owners might come to a different conclusion. Each business has its own situation to consider. While her clientele is more savvy about winning and losing, that might not be the case with the bigger establishments, which have less hardcore gamblers.

Maser said, “As a matter of fact, it ended up costing me. But for larger bars that don’t have a neighborhood feel and people just come in and out, it may be a nice draw for them.”

Meanwhile, one Nebraska anti-gambling group (“Gambling with the Good Life“) wants to impose a tax on gaming machines which would drive all EGMs out of Nebraska bars. Gambling with the Good Life wants State Sen. Paul Schumacher to put the bill up for a vote. One way or another, it appears Bankshot’s popularity might be short-term, just as it was 5 years ago.

Nebraskans on Gambling

Nebraska’s residents commenting on the story had a number of interesting points. One pointed out that nearby states have gaming facilities just across the border, then said, “Nebraskans [are] watching other states profit directly across the border with Nebraska money.”

Another reader pointed out the laser-targeted morality of many anti-gambling group. That reader replied, “Don’t let ‘gambling’ ruin our state. Well, except for Keno…and pickle cards…and lottery…and horse racing…and bingo. Those are ok, but no gambling.“

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