NJ Inspectors Look for Rigged Boardwalk Games

Inspectors fanned out along the Seaside Heights boardwalk Thursday, inspecting games of chance and arcade games to make sure they were not rigged against players.

Staff from the state Department of Community Affairs checked boardwalk spinning wheel games and arcade cranes as well as games of skill like bushel basket tosses.

Lead investigator Martin Silva says most of the games checked out fine, though a handful of violations were found, like games using software that was not state-certified. The violations carry a $250 fine.

One balloon-bursting game was found to have under-inflated balloons that were more difficult for players to pop. But the stand got a pass because it had just opened, and the young attendant spent the next hour inflating new balloons to replace the sagging ones.

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