Recently on a St. Louis radio show, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said the issue of illegal, unregulated slot machines in convenience stores and bars is “complex.”
When asked if he believed the games were legal or illegal, Bailey said, “Not all the machines are the same. It’s impossible to make a blanket determination that everything that looks like an illegal gaming machine must therefore by definition be an illegal gaming machine.”
Bailey, who was appointed in January and formerly served as Governor Mike Parson’s chief legal counsel, said local officials, not state prosecutors, should handle the video-gambling situation. During the radio interview, he said the slot machines’ legality depends on whether it is a game of skill or chance.
According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch review of submissions to the Missouri Gaming Commission this year, more than 100 calls and 70 written complaints indicate Missourians are concerned about the proliferation of the gambling machines and want them to be regulated. Among the complaints, callers said they won a jackpot and the gas station or other location would not pay.
Because the machines aren’t regulated or taxed by the state, local police and prosecutors have little or no authority to act on the complaints, which are turned over to the Missouri Highway Patrol for further investigation. Lawmakers have not been able to reach any agreement regarding regulating and taxing the games. Senate President Caleb Rowden has called the situation “embarrassing.”
The Missouri Highway Patrol has been sued by Torch Electronics and Warrenton Oil, companies accused of operating the illegal gambling devices.
Earlier this year, Bailey withdrew his office from the lawsuit after accepting $25,000 in campaign contributions in December from political action committees affiliated with Torch Electronics’ lobbyist, former House Speaker Steve Tilley. Missouri taxpayers now will pay for a private attorney to defend the state.
Governor Mike Parson also has close ties to Tilley; Parsons’ PAC reported receiving thousands of dollars in private flights from a Tilley-owned private airplane service.
