Diner used arcade cabinets to hide video poker machines

In what sounds like it could have been a scene straight out of a Prohibition-era speakeasy, Tennessee law enforcement officials raided a Sevier County diner last Thursday and discovered that two of the arcade cabinets had been retrofitted to play video poker as well. After receiving several complaints from locals presumably curious about the recent popularity of Sharon Tarwater's Speedway Diner ("Come for the pie, stay for the poker"), sheriff's deputies moved in on the establishment and caught patrons right in the act -- despite the fact that the machines had been rigged with a remote switch to instantly change their functionality a la Moe's Pet Shop. Authorities found a total of just $338 in the pair of machines along with two located elsewhere, which would seem to suggest that Ms. Tarwater could have made almost as much loot just leaving the cabinets unaltered and charging $5-a-pop for the latest title to hit the home county of Dollywood, Street Fighter II.

[Via Joystiq]

[Cal @ Mar 27th 2007 11:58PM]

Love the Moe's petshop line! This is simply why this post rocks.

[derek @ Mar 27th 2007 11:59PM]

a remote switch to instantly change their functionality a la Moe's Pet Shop.

HAHAHAHAHAH you watch the Simpsons too, nice.

[Carlos Montoya @ Mar 28th 2007 12:06AM]

I went to high school in sevier county and half my friends still live there..all the machines spit out tickets for stupid plastic prizes. The article makes it seem like its spitting out money...bullcrap

[Len @ Mar 28th 2007 1:24AM]

"...all the machines spit out tickets for stupid plastic prizes. The article makes it seem like its spitting out money...bullcrap".

Then it's even worse than what the article said. You don't even get a chance to win real cash but a ticket "...for stupid plastic prizes.

Nice scam.

[Alexandre Souza @ Mar 28th 2007 3:09AM]

This is VERY common in Brazil...

[John @ Mar 28th 2007 11:49AM]

In case anyone is curious, our local paper (I live in Pigeon Forge) printed photos of the machines and the news station ran a piece on it. The machines included Street Fighter 2 Champion Edition and Mortal Kombat. You know something is wrong when both of these game cabinets had several additional buttons on them...like the ones you'd find on a poker machine.

[Chuckles McGee @ Mar 28th 2007 12:14PM]

"Authorities found a total of just $338 in the pair of machines..."

Maybe Ms. Tarwater had the brains to remove the cash every night...

[Richard Cartwright @ Mar 28th 2007 3:52PM]

Gotta live East Tennessee.