Marshfield Lifts Footloose-Like Ban on Coin-Op Video Games
Pac-Man’s long local nightmare is over.
Marshfield Town Meeting has lifted the community’s 32-year ban on coin-operated video games, according to the Patriot-Ledger. The town instituted the ban in 1982 to the consternation of local businesses, which sued to try and keep the cabinet-bound video games.
From the Patriot-Ledger:
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Back in 1983, when the Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal, the Christian Science Monitor spoke with Marshfield ban proponents. They cited concerns about truancy, gambling, and drug addiction all associated with video arcades.
From the Monitor:
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After 32 years, the town is apparently safe from the “undesirable’’ element that flips quarters and plays Donkey Kong. Still, the Patriot-Ledger found town meeting members opposed to lifting the ban, citing a lack of business interest and the distraction the games present to families that go out for dinner.
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