Private slot-machine ownership is a legal and practical question before it is a decorating decision. Laws can distinguish possession, sale, transport and operation, and an antique exception in one jurisdiction may not exist in another.
1. Identify every lock
A missing key is not always a five-dollar problem. Confirm how many locks the machine has, whether they are keyed alike and whether replacements are documented for that model before assuming the cabinet will be easy to open.
2. Do not force doors
Plan the move as a heavy-appliance job. Know the actual loaded weight, keep the cabinet stable, protect controls and doors, use adequate help and secure the machine in the vehicle so one hard stop cannot turn a collectible into a repair project.
3. Ask for open-cabinet photos
Insist on evidence from the exact cabinet being sold. Good documentation shows the machine off, powered off, opened where safe, and then starting from cold so intermittent display, board or mechanism problems have less room to hide.
4. Replacement keys may be model-specific
A missing key is not always a five-dollar problem. Confirm how many locks the machine has, whether they are keyed alike and whether replacements are documented for that model before assuming the cabinet will be easy to open.
5. Drilling can destroy value
Treat drilling can destroy value as a specific inspection item rather than a box to tick. Verify it on the exact machine, photograph what you find, and include any missing parts or uncertainty in the delivered-cost and repair decision.
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Check destination law, actual photographs, free-play configuration, seller terms and freight before buying.
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