FAQs
Q: How Does the FREESPIN® work?
A: Upon insertion of currency a card is dispensed. Each vending machine has sample cards located on the front glass depicting the type of collector's card. In the instance where the card is a sport type the topic, sport, manufacturer and year will be displayed.
These cards are sold for .50c to 1$ each including sales tax as indicated on the glass. In the instance where the collector's card is a phone card the style, topic and amount of phone time will be given.
Each time a purchase is made you are given, at no additional cost, free promotional points. Then, if you wish, you can use these points to participate in the promotional game or you may leave them for someone else's use.
If you wish to play the promotional game and do not want to purchase anything you need only to request a free entry buy one of the (4) Alternative Methods of Entry.
Q: How is the Charitable Machine Different?
A: Each time an amount of currency is donated to the named charity, promotional play points are given at no additional charge. This is very similar to our point of sales kiosk. Only in that scenario you purchase the product over the counter. From that point it will operate the same as our other patented U.S. (6,213,874) system.
Q: How do I collect my prize?
A: If you should win more points on the promotional game than originally given, you can then remove the points from the system by filling out a Promotional Prize Claim Form. This form converts the game play point from a non-valued state to redeemable points.
Q: How can I play the game for free?
A: As required by state and federal laws for all promotional games and sweepstakes, we offer an alternative method of entry or No Purchase Necessary Play Vouchers for anyone who wishes to play the promotional game without purchasing a product from the vending machine. Simply take a form off the machine and fill out the information and present it to the attendant on duty.
Should all the forms be depleted an 800 number is supplied to obtain free play; you can enter via e-mail from this site or enter with out limit by sending a separate self-addressed stamped envelope for each entry request.
Q: Is sales tax collected?
A: Yes. Each product sold from the system has the tax included in the sales price. The amount may vary from state to state. In some states the tax is full sales tax on the value of each card sold. In other instances it may be a gross revenues and be at a slightly less tax.
Q: Where does Worlds of Games LLC buy cards?
A: If you are asking about the sports style card we use factory sets and wax packs obtained through nationally recognized manufacturers and distributors. The same companies that supply cards sold at national retail outlets across the country. None of the cards are ever searched or "cherry picked"
In the case where a phone card is sold at the time of this posting our phone time is purchased from time wholesalers and is retailed at approximately 10 cents a minute and a better value than that of nationally advertised phone cards.
Q: How can you sell a card for a dollar, but they don't know exactly which card they will get?
A: In the instance where the card is a sports style the information given on the face of our product is the same as the wax or foil pack; in either case you make your decision to purchase based on the same information. In all instances you will receive a product equal to the money inserted for each and ever action of the machine accepting currency and dispensing a product.
Q: But the card you get may not list in a guide for a dollar?
A: No, the cards are sold for an advertised retail value. You the consumer will use your knowledge of the given series, manufacturer, team and card collecting to determine if you feel the advertised price including tax is a good value.
Q: If you can put a dollar in and possibly get a card worth $5.00 to $500.00 is that not gambling?
A: No. This is due to it being a legal business transaction and in being so it is set aside from the gambling laws in most states. If not a farmer couldn't plant his crops, or you couldn't play the stock market.
Q: But it look's like a poker?
A: Just like most promotional contest developers, it is important tried to mimic the appearance of a game of chance or skill as closely as possible. But, that is where the similarity stops. Just as a popular real estate board game is used to sell hamburgers in one instance and given away at no extra cost. But is used as a pay to play lottery ticket or slot in another. The same is true for our system in that the game portion is free to play just by asking. Where in other instances you may have seen similar games used for gambling. Remember if you have to pay to play question the contest. It is gambling.
Q: News articles claim that if people don't keep the sports style cards it makes it illegal?
A: This misguided theory came from a 1999 Ag opinion # 99-146. It is the nature of a card collector to search pack or boxes of cards in quantity. Much to the dismay of those less informed 4 recent investigations by law enforcement in Tennessee has agreed with our position on this subject.
The investigator attended a ball card show and viewed collector's purchasing the same quality and type of card sold through our system. The report stated after purchasing the high dollar amount of cards the individuals tore the containers open thumbed through the card only to keep about 1% throwing the rest to the ground. However, our research show an 80% retention rate of cards purchased through our system.
Q: Is this legal?
A: Based on legal opinion obtained by Worlds of Games LLC and various distributors, as well as various district attorneys and law enforcement agencies across the country, we believe our promotional game is the only legal alternative way to play simulated electronic video games of chance or skill and win cash or other valuable prizes.
Q: What other products can you sell?
A: It depends on the version of the system. In the instance of the machine being a version based on the U.S. 6,213,874 virtually any flat pliable object can that is a collectors card, phone card or equivalent may be sold from and promoted by Delivery and advertisement systems. In the instance where the product promoted in a charity and the machines being a version based on the (US 7,236,943) patent then the product is in a service form and could be any Charity.
Q: What is a Distribution Agreement?
A: A contract that allows you, once signed and with all the conditions met, to become a distributor for Worlds Games LLC. Such agreements may be for Counties, States, and Towns or specialized to allow for certain types of locations.
Q: After getting a legal opinion can the machines be confiscated?
A: A district attorney may have his own opinion. We advise visiting with your local D.A. once you have your attorney's opinion. Almost 90% of the district attorneys that have viewed the machines understand the concept. Many have approved the system in writing.
Q. Why is this not gambling or a slot machine?
A. It is not gambling because you are never required to buy anything, wager anything or risk anything of value in order to participate in the promotional play video game. This in fact removes consideration from the historical definition of gambling, which consists of Consideration Chance and Prize.
It is not a slot due to being specifically designed not to be. By being so design and recognized as so by three United States Patents that basically state the 874 invention details a free game along with a proprietary method of advertising that we obviously can share in this forum. Also most states recognize and exemption of a device being a slot if it returns to the user a thing of equal value each to the money or thing of value inserted every time it is activated by currency or thing of value.
Q. What is a Patent?
A. For the exact definition you should visit the USPTO. But, basically a patent is a right of monopoly granted by the United States Government through the Patent Office. Once issued it recognizes the holder as the inventor and as such allows the holder the exclusive right to prohibit anyone else from manufacturing a given product or design. This is also true even if a product is the same; equivalent to, or just produces the same result of the claims of the patent.
Q: What is the case State vs. Burkhart and how does it relate to your design?
A: Burkhart was a 1997 case out of Montgomery County, Tennessee in which several Cherry Masters were raided without payoff. In the first court, the judge ruled the Tennessee gambling laws unconstitutional but was overturned by the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court then upheld the case making the possession of a Poker or Cherry Master illegal. However, in the courts opinion, it was stressed it only related to that case. Further, it went on to set out a principle design standard (that in our attorney's opinion clarified the design standard incorporated in our United States Patented 6,213,874 system) that clearly demonstrates our use of this type of interactive video, as a free promotional play game is legal.
Q. Does your contest ever end?
A: Yes, when the supply of a series of cards is exhausted. An example will be that one week or month the contest will advertise 1989 Donruss but when they run out the contest will advertise 1988 Topps. Typically an average contest period is about two weeks to 3 months in some areas the contest end each month. See official rules for the exact beginning and ending periods your area.
Q. If the points you win from participating in the contest can be claimed and you don't claim them and instead continue to play and lose them have you lost something of value?
A: No, To begin with you are never required to risk or purchase anything to play in our chance promotion. Further, if you will note in the official rules the participant acknowledges no point in the contest ever have value until removed.
The only function they is a promotional game points that allow the person at the machine to enter the contest. Since the person making the purchase has no ownership rights to the points (they can not be claimed) they may choose to enter the contest with them or walk away allowing anyone happening by the system to play them.
Q: Why is your FREESPIN® Vendor not like the old mint slot machines of the early 30's?
A: For several reasons, but the main one being the person wishing to play the chance game in the mint slot case was required to make a purchase and had to place money into the machine to make it play.
The Mint machine would continue to function even if depleted of mints. The mints were being sold at a price not conducive with the standard of fair market value of the same Mints sold without a Slot attached.
Also the Mint cases are antiquated to today's statutes and society. In the mid 70's the subject of promotional games of chance or "soda promotions" were the hit button target for enforcement to say they were "illegal lotteries".
It was not until the advent of cases like the FCC vs. ABC did promotional advertisement gain its first legs. That is to say promotional contest, as we know them today simply did not have the ability to exist. In the instance of Tennessee the Consumer Protection Act of 1977 carved out an exemption for businesses to use randomly generated games of chance to advertise their product or services.
Q: I have heard there is several characteristics that law enforcement will try and use to determine something is illegal. Is this true and where did they come from?
A: For the most part they came from a former FBI (Bill Holms) file clerk that derived the list from his examination of hundreds (according to his sworn testimony) of gambling devices. We have ensured the purported criteria do not exist in our systems or that the proper enforcement agency has reviewed the configuration and principle design of our systems against them. Where we can with in the scope of the patent(s) we conform to their suggestions. If we cannot we will challenge them in court.
