Jackson County to crack down on unregulated gambling machines all over KC
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Johnson and AG Hanaway will partner to prosecute illegal gambling devices.
- Missouri House passed a bill to legalize and regulate machines; Senate fate unclear.
- Torch and other vendors donated millions to Missouri politics, drawing scrutiny.
Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced she will start aggressively targeting the illegal gambling devices that are omnipresent at convenience stores across the state.
Johnson, who is partnering with Missouri Attorney General Katherine Hanaway to prosecute business owners in possession of devices, is taking action after a federal court declared the machines illegal gambling devices last month. They’ve given business owners until July to get rid of the devices, or risk being charged with a crime.
“We finally have the authority and partnership we need to act. I’m proud to stand with Attorney General Hanaway to hold illegal gambling machine operators accountable,” Johnson said in a press release.
In a statement to The Star, Hanaway said she would help the office review cases for possible charges. Hannaway’s office has taken a more aggressive approach to the machines than past Attorneys General.
“Prosecutor Johnson and I will not stand for any illegal devices that attract crime, violence and nuisance into our communities,” Hannaway said.
Kansas City’s Multidisciplinary Public Safety Task Force and the Kansas City Police Department are also taking up the cause, with Mayor Quinton Lucas saying the machines can contribute to other unlawful activities.
“For too long, unregulated slot machines have operated in plain sight while our communities paid the price – preying on vulnerable residents and inviting crime into our neighborhoods,” Lucas said in a statement.
The devices proliferated across the state under a murky area of the law. The Attorney General’s Office said that there are an estimated 250,000 machines across the state that bring in hundreds of millions of dollars every year.
Manufacturers asserted that the games are based on skill and that more skilled players could win more money. But the machines, which resemble slot machines and dispense cash prizes, don’t adhere to the same standards that apply to regulated gaming machines.
A court decision last month ruled that the machines operated by Torch Electronics, a Missouri-based manufacturer, were illegal gambling machines. In February, Gregg Keller, a company spokesperson, said the company planned to appeal the decision.
“Once the Court decides the remaining issues before it and enters a final judgment, Torch will appeal, as we’re confident our games adhere to the letter and the spirit of Missouri law,” Keller said.
Lawmakers consider regulations
While at the local level law enforcement has become more active in combatting the video terminals, at the state level the issue has been divisive. The Missouri House passed a bill that would legalize and regulate gaming machines.
“I’ve always felt like we owed it to business owners to clarify the law, this is legal, this is illegal,” said Rep. Bill Hardwick, a Dixon Republican.
If passed, the bill would implement consumer protections like prohibiting people under 21, allowing problem gamblers to self-exclude and capping maximum wagers. It would also make the company’s revenues taxable.
The bill passed on a vote of 83 to 66. The partisan makeup of the vote was mixed, with about one-third of the House Democrats voting with the two-thirds of Republicans who supported the bill.
How the bill will fare in the Senate is unclear. House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, said she doubted that the bill would make it through the higher chamber.
“It’s pretty clear to me that this bill is dead in the Senate, so unfortunately, I think we’re going to have to resurrect this conversation again next year,” said Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, at a press conference recently after the bill passed.
Senate President Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, agreed to hold a hearing on the House Bill after lawmakers reconvene from their Spring Break on March 23. However, she has publicly stated that she has a negative view of the devices.
“My personal opinion is that it’s very detrimental to our society,” O’Laughton said at a March 12 press conference. “I know some people kind of liken it to casinos and gambling, but it’s not like casinos because you have to be really more intentional about getting in your car and driving somewhere, whereas these machines are in every location you go in, or could be.”
Game companies prolific political donors
The proposed regulation comes after gaming companies pumped money into Missouri politics. Torch Electronics has donated over $2 million to different political action committees in the state since 2019, according to reports filed to the Missouri Ethics Commission.
The company has connections with several well-connected Missouri politicians. Former House Speaker Steven Tilley serves as the company’s lobbyist and Keller, its spokesperson, has been heavily involved in Republican political circles.
The company’s connections have raised scrutiny. In 2023, then-Attorney General Andrew Bailey withdrew his office from defending the state in a lawsuit with Torch after it donated $14,000 to his campaign and $12,000 to his political action committee.
In 2024, Treasurer Vivek Malek partnered with Torch to place advertisements on its device, but later removed the ads after backlash.
Torch has been the leading vendor in the state, but other companies are eying the Missouri market and donating to political action committees. J&J Ventures Gaming has also donated over $2 million to Missouri politicians since 2018.
The company’s website says its terminals aren’t currently in the state, but that it is preparing for legalization.
