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Slot Machines

Five cent slot machineIllegal gambling operations have been a target of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) since its inception in 1939. These slot machines were confiscated and held as evidence by the KBI.

For decades, slot machines were absolutely illegal in Kansas. Recent changes in state law allow slots in Native American casinos, and private individuals may own antique slot machines manufactured before 1950.

These slots were manufactured by Mills Industries, Incorporated, of Chicago.

Ten cent slot machineThe 10-cent machine (pictured at left) dates from 1948. The five-cent slot (right) is a "Black Cherry," the first new model introduced by Mills as production resumed after World War II. This particular slot machine was confiscated by KBI agents at the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Hall in Belleville, Kansas, in 1972.

Both slot machines are in the collections of the Kansas Museum of History.

For more information on gambling in Kansas, see the online exhibit, Sinners and Saints: Vice and Reform in Kansas.

Entry: Slot Machines

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: November 1997

Date Modified: December 2014

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.