(a) Every person keeping, maintaining or operating for public entertainment in the county any pinball machine or similar device, including any such machine or device which gives or allows free play by registering such plays on the machine or device, operated or played by the insertion of a coin shall obtain a license therefor from the clerk of the circuit court of the county and shall pay therefor the sum of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each such machine or device. The application and license forms shall be as specified by the clerk.
(b) Each machine or device so licensed shall have affixed to it a metal tag issued by the clerk, showing that the fee for the current year has been paid. Each person who owns and maintains three (3) or more of such machines, regardless of where the same may be kept, as long as they are available to the public to play, shall also secure from the clerk an operator’s license at a annual fee of five hundred dollars ($500.00). All licenses shall expire on the thirtieth day of April each year, shall be transferable upon application to the clerk of the court and shall be prorated monthly; provided, that nothing in this section shall in any way be construed as authorizing the issuance of a license, other than one authorized by this section, for any game, device or machine for which a license may not hereafter lawfully be issued in accordance with any law of or pertaining to the county. Any such licensed machine or device may be moved to and operated at a new location, at the discretion of the licensee.
(c) It shall be a misdemeanor and a violation of this section to knowingly permit any person under sixteen (16) years of age to operate or play any such device.
(d) Any person keeping, maintaining or operating any such machine or device without a license shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Upon conviction thereof, he shall be fined one hundred dollars ($100.00).
(e) All license fees collected under the provisions of this section shall be paid to the board of county commissioners, who shall credit one-half thereof to the general funds of the county and pay the remaining one-half portion to the emergency hospital of the county for expenditure on or for capital improvements.
(Code 1949, Chapter 659, § 1; Code 1959, § 10-1)