HELENA (AP) — A House committee gave its support Monday to a bill that would allow businesses to sell antique gambling equipment.

The proposal, by Sen. Verdell Jackson, R-Kalispell, is in response to a Jan. 21 raid on a Whitefish antiques shop.

State gambling investigators seized $77,000 worth of old-time gambling equipment from the Cowboy Cabin, prompting Jackson to sponsor a bill clarifying state law on such machines.

His bill would make it legal for a person to possess and display gambling devices more than 25 years old, and sell the devices without being licensed.

Current law allows possession of antique slot machines, but does not address other devices.

The House Business and Labor Committee endorsed the measure 12-4, sending it to the House floor for further debate.

“There may be some unintended consequences, but I still think this is something that needs to be dealt with,” said Rep. Scott Mendenhall, R-Clancy, the committee chairman. “Hopefully this will kind of correct some of the anti-Montana (sentiment) going around the airwaves on this issue.”

Rep. Jim Keane, D-Butte, said he voted against the bill because it “tied the hands of the gambling enforcement division to do their job.”

The bill is Senate Bill 540.