Though Spin-A-Mania has the appearance of a little slice of Las Vegas, no cash is paid out for winning.
By JOY DAVIS-PLATT
Published December 19, 2003
SPRING HILL - As cartoon images of cherries, diamonds and bells scroll across the screen, George Janouskovec waits for just the right moment, then strikes.
As three matching images of a bomb fall into a row, the Spring Hill man's score climbs at the bottom of the arcade game's screen, and he shakes his head.
"You try to look for a high jackpot, but it's all about being in the right place at the right time," Janouskovec said.
Janouskovec is one of many who have spent time at Hernando County's newest game room, Spin-A-Mania in the Berkeley Manor Shopping Center, where players can win "anything but cash."
"I'm still learning about this myself," said Janouskovec, sitting at one of the arcade's penny-per-play machines. "But it's just a way to have some fun and spend a little time."
Janouskovec says he equates spending $5 on an arcade game with buying a handful of lottery tickets at the convenience store.
As the satellite television plays in the background, Jason Smith staffs the arcade's redemption center, where players turn in tickets they win for crystal clocks, candlesticks and gift cards. Under the law, winnings must be in the form of merchandise or gift cards that can be redeemed elsewhere.
Because Florida laws restrict gambling in game rooms like Spin-A-Mania, no cash changes hands. Players insert money into the 60 or so different machines, each with a video screen, a padded stool and plenty of blinking lights.
"Each game is a little bit different," Smith said. "But they're all based on the same principle."
While slot machines are set up to be self-stopped, the spinning wheels on these games must be halted by the player.
"Technically, these are games of skill, not chance," said Smith, 23, who is much younger than the afternoon's crowd of retirees. "This is strictly for entertainment purposes."
The machines are open to anyone older than 21 who signs up for a free membership. With each visit, the game room will match a member's first play up to $10.
"It's like anything else," Smith said. "You play to play, not to get rich. It's just a way to unwind for a little while."
For the past four weeks, Mary Panarese hasn't missed a day at the game room. Though she doesn't always stay for long, the Spring Hill woman said she enjoys taking a little time for herself in the darkened arcade.
Though she sits among the rows of machines, Panarese said it is the people that bring her back.
"We've all gotten to know each other up here," said Panarese, a widow with two grown children. "You can go any time of the day and there are people sitting around there. When my daughter and I have nothing to do, we'll take a ride up there."
General manager John Cucciniello said that since Spin-A-Mania opened six weeks ago, about 600 people have signed up for memberships. They come to sit and enjoy the atmosphere, complete with framed black-and-white photographs of Elvis, James Dean and the Rat Pack, as well as free snacks and drinks.
"They have these places all over the East Coast (of Florida)," said Cucciniello, who manages the business for its Miami-area owner. "People like the atmosphere here, and there's always something going on."
On New Year's Eve, the amusement center will raffle a three-day trip for two to Biloxi, Miss.
"I don't really think about winning too much," Janouskovec said. "That way when you win, it seems like more of a surprise than anything else."
Spin-A-Mania is at 4658 Commercial Way and opens at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday; it closes when the crowd goes home, Smith said. Sunday hours are from 1 p.m. to midnight. For information, call 596-9770.
- Joy Davis-Platt can be reached at 352 848-1435. Send e-mail to joy@sptimes.com
