There are several “Texas Certified Skills” machines popping up across Alice. But, are they legal?
Dings, bells and whistles can be heard inside Mario’s Grocery and Meat Market located on South Texas Boulevard. It’s one of nearly a dozen businesses at least in town, according to Alice neighbors, that folks are floating to.
"People come in and entertain themselves and make a little money. And some make good money. I've had as much as 15 hundred dollars on them,” Mario's Grocery and Meat Market owner Mario Herrera said.
Herrera has owned the convenience store for 52 years. He recently added the machines after he was inspired to get one after seeing other businesses with them.
"I don't pay it. If I were to pay it out of my pocket - it would be illegal. Since I have nothing to do with it. So, there's no transaction with the store at all,” he said.
Herrera said, to play the machine takes your money and when you cash out - you get a ticket to redeem at a nearby machine that resembles an ATM. That’s where the cash is.
"I don't have to worry about it. They make money out of it. The machine pays them. I don't do nothing,” Herrera said.
But, these machines are now being questioned by Alice police.
"We're looking into the legality of it. I know there's a gray area when it comes to these types of machines,” Alice Police Chief Eden Garcia said.
Gambling is illegal in the state of Texas. However, business owners like Herrera argue these aren’t gambling machines.
"I hope they don't decide to get rid of them,” Herrera said.
Before the games have the possibility of being shut down.
"We'll look at the process on how it's done. First of all we have to make a determination if it's a game of skill or whether it's a game of chance, right,” Garcia said.
The chief said if they are illegal, a letter will be sent to those businesses to stop. Until investigations are concluded, the games are operational.
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