The Madderns were back in the news regarding the slot machines that were seized from their business Valley Vegas Nites. Sixty-two machines were taken from the company as state investigators claimed they had warned the company that they had to get a license to operate the slot machines and the company chose not to. The Donna Maddern, the owner of Valley Vegas Nites, said that the regulator told her she had to have a license if she wanted to manufacture or distribute slot machines – and as she wasn’t doing either of those things, she didn’t think she needed the license. She says that at no time did they tell her that they would come and take her slot machines. 

The company rents out the machines to various groups to do casino style vegas night fund raisers. The state says that although these types of nights are common for fund raisers, they are illegal as gambling is illegal in California unless you are a licensed tribal casino or a manufacturer or distributor of the slot machines that has a license. The investigation into the Maddens was part of a state crackdown on the casino nights, as it is considered illegal gambling within the state of California. 

Donna Madden said she thought that slot machines that were games of chance were illegal, and that those that involved skill were legal. The wheels stop when a player hits a bar instead of just stopping randomly.

Back to September Archive or Slot Machines