Iowa
TouchPlay Ban Will Hurt Small Businesses
As reported by the Forest City
Summit: "When Doug Knapper decided to become
a distributor for the Iowa Lottery's TouchPlay
machines, he never imagined that Legislature
would consider pulling the plug just a few months
later.
"Gov.
Tom Vilsack signed the bill on Monday, a week
after the bill made it through the Iowa Legislature.
"…Business
has been tough the past few years for the convenience
store owner. Knapper figured this would be a
way for him to earn some additional income.
By becoming a distributor, he not only bought
the machines, but he also invested in a heated
warehouse as well as a delivery truck.
"In
other words, he committed whole-heartedly to
the TouchPlay machines, knowing full well the
risk he was taking. Still, he never imagined
the legislature would change their mind after
initially committing to the five-year program.
"
'It seems as if the Legislature is always working
against the small businesses,' said Knapper,
one of the smallest distributors in the state
of Iowa.
"…More
than 6,000 of the TouchPlay machines have been
deployed to bars, convenience stores, grocers,
restaurants and retail locations around the
state. The number was expected to grow more
than 10,000 until Vilsack placed a moratorium
on new machines in Jan.
"…Some
businesses that have invested money in TouchPlay
machines or signed TouchPlay contracts have
threatened to sue, claiming they will lose money
if the machines are banned…"
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