So far this year, the Missouri Gaming Commission has taken 93 calls concerning illegal, unregulated slot machines that continue to proliferate in bars, gas stations and truck stops in nearly every community in the state. Of those calls, at least 10 came from business owners wondering how they could cash in on the games.
Video gambling is legal in neighboring Illinois. But in Missouri, lawmakers have not been able to control the spread of the machines. Outgoing state Senate President Dave Schatz had made abolishing illegal gambling a top priority in his final two years in office before being term limited.
Most of the machines are distributed by politically connected companies, such as Wildwood-based Torch Electronics, whose lobbyist, the powerful former House Speaker Steve Tilley, so far has successfully blocked efforts to regulate slots outside of casinos. Torch and others contend the machines are legal, since a feature lets players know if they’ll win the next game.
The gaming commission forwards complaints about the illegal machines to the Missouri State Highway Patrol for further investigation. Some of the complaints have led to charges and penalties where prosecuting attorneys actually take the matter to a judge.
Regarding callers who want to install the unauthorized slots, Gaming Commission spokesperson Elizabeth Hoffman said, “When calls come in about how people can put machines in their business, we tell them those types of machines are not regulated by the Missouri Gaming Commission.”
Some of the calls come from players who believe they’ve been cheated, but currently, no actual laws protect people who gamble on the illegal machines.
One complainant said the machines at nearby businesses are hurting his revenue. The report said the man “owns many gas stations and is not happy that competition is getting more business because they have illegal machines.”
