Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the sales tax applies to the receipts of operators of vending machines located on Army, Navy or Air Force installations and dispensing tangible personal property of a kind the gross receipts from the retail sale of which are subject to tax. This section shall not be deemed to require payment of sales tax measured by receipts of such operators who lease the machines to exchanges of the Army, Air Force, Navy or Marine Corps which acquire title to and sell the merchandise through the machines to authorized purchasers from such exchanges.

The term “operator,” as used herein, means any person

who owns or possesses vending machines and who controls the operations of the machines, as by placing the merchandise therein or removing the coins therefrom, and who has access thereto for any purpose connected with the sale of merchandise through the machines, and whose compensation is based, in whole or in part, upon receipts from sales made through such machines.