Out of the shadows: Video gambling is back in Georgia

Don't call them slot machines. Lawmakers say they are games of skill, or "coin-operated amusement machines" in the parlance of the industry.

Whatever the term, some 25,000 machines are now at licensed locations throughout Georgia, operating under new state rules aimed at squeezing out the rogue operators.

If you want to try your luck, be warned: You play at your own risk.

While the state imposed new controls on the gaming industry, such as limiting payouts to $5 per spin in merchandise, the Legislature didn't impose safeguards that other states require to protect players, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation found.

You can read more about this kind of gambling and the headaches it's creating in Georgia in Sunday's AJC or on MyAJC.com.