Earlier today (July 18), the Ohio Casino Control Commission approved lower application and licensing fees for the sale and operation of skill-based amusement machines in the state. (The new rates are posted below.)
These reductions are significant. For example, the old fee schedule called for a “Type B Operator” (this would be someone running cranes, for example) to pay an application fee of $1,500 and a three-year licensing fee of $1,500. Under the new rates, that same operator would pay just $250 for the same time period plus the initial $250 application fee. The “Key Employee” application fee and five-year license, previously $500, has been restructured as a three-year license that combined with the application fee now totals just $50.
These reduced application and license fees go into immediate effect, and OCCC staff will reach out to those who have already submitted a license application to refund any over-payments in light of the new structure. See the details on the new rates in OCCC’s chart below:
These were the fees prior to today’s action:
Skill Game Vendor (Manufacturers, Distributors)
– $6,000 total every three years = $3,000 application fee (due at time of applying) and $3,000 license fee is good for 3 years (due after application is approved).
Key Employee (for all companies, including locations)
– $500 total every 5 years = $250 application fee (due at time of applying) and $250 per person license fee for 5 years (due after application is approved).
Type B Operator License
– $3,000 total every 3 years = $1,500 application fee (due at time of applying) and $1,500 license fee is good for 3 years (due after application is approved).
Type C Operator License
– $6,000 total every 3 years = $3,000 application fee (due at time of applying) and $3,000 license fee is good for 3 years (due after application is approved).
Type C Location License
– $500 total every 5 years = $250 application fee (due at time of applying) and $250 license fee is good for 5 years (due after application is approved).
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Ohio Coin Machine Association Executive VP David Corey said his organization has “lobbied heavily” for this result, and though the news is good, OCMA is far from finished in its efforts.
“Our next big issue with the Commission will be actual game approval,” Corey explained. “The process of them reviewing games has already begun and about 40 games will be authorized this week. However, the good news is that everyone who is registered will be grandfathered to operate any current games until both of these occur: 1. They get a license issued. 2. There is a ‘robust list of authorized games.'”
Corey said OCMA was told today that those steps could take another nine months.
Corey stressed that an important deadline is still in place: “Registration fees are due by July, 22, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. Registration fees have NOT changed. They still are as follows: $200 flat fee for vendors plus $25 per location for each Type B Location and $200 per location for each Type C Location.”
Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact OCCC’s Skill Games division at skillgames@casinocontrol.ohio.gov. Contact David Corey and his team at the OCMA by emailing ocma@the-ocma.org.