FAQs

These games, which can be found at restaurants, bars and clubs across Michigan, include crane games, pusher bar games, and electronic games of skill that allow a player to win prizes ranging from stuffed animals to gift cards. They’re fun and harmless, and they provide much needed revenue to restaurants, bars and clubs throughout the state.

They help attract customers and drive foot traffic, both helping to bring in revenue desperately needed by these locally owned businesses at this time. After two years of the pandemic, recent labor shortages, supply chain outages and ongoing inflation, every stream of revenue is important and this one provides a significant contribution to the bottom line for these businesses so they can continue to provide jobs and contribute to the local economy. And that, in turn, provides funding for roads, public safety and local schools.

With advances in technology, the existing regulatory framework for redemption games is outdated. That has created confusion and uncertainty for already overwhelmed small business owners. State agencies are wrongfully targeting redemption games, causing negative economic consequences for bars, restaurants and charitable organizations like VFW Halls and Elks Lodges. The legislation would show that the state is committed to supporting small business owners, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of undermining a family-friendly entertainment option that attracts customers and helps to bolster sales.

This legislation provides certainty to the 25-year-old tradition of redemption games in Michigan by spelling out a clear regulatory system to ensure uniform and consistent enforcement, allowing good actors to thrive and providing a system for regulators to crack down on bad actors. It would protect small businesses, helping them continue to pump tens of millions of dollars into their communities.