West Point City Council will adopt a new ordinance regulating gaming machines after finding out from the state it is illegal to charge a per-machine fee.

The city had passed an ordinance regulating the machines in May and included a $860 per machine registration fee.

City Manager Ed Moon said the city still can regulate the number of machines in a business - the new ordinance suggests three - and charge a business license fee and occupational tax. The new ordinance Moon proposes also states that no more than 50 percent of a store’s revenue can come from gaming machines.

“There has to be another viable business there,” Moon said.

West Point first proposed the ordinance after council decided that some business owners were taking advantage of and making money off of those who wanted to play.

“If there’s illegal gambling going on, we need to catch it,” said Councilwoman Judy Wilkinson.

While West Point adopted its first ordinance two months ago, gaming machines and their operation have been in the spotlight since a July 1 raid on several businesses by the Troup County Sheriff’s Department, shutting down those operations that were paying cash to users. At least one councilman was frustrated the city can’t charge a per machine fee.

“We can permit a dog, but not a gaming machine,” Councilman Darren Kelley said.

In neighboring Alabama, a fee can be charged.

Jennifer Shrader can be reached at jshrader@lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 236.