Missouri Lawyer Normal Hanaway and her workplace have introduced a brand new civil enforcement drive to root out unlawful playing machines.
The video games in scope of this motion are video gaming terminals (VGTs) and what state regulators name “fishing desk video games,” which stay unlicensed within the state.
It’s a felony for any unlawful playing to happen inside state boundaries, and it may possibly carry substantial monetary and custodial penalties for breaching the well-established Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
Licensed operators are ruled by the processes established by the Missouri Gaming Fee, which is headed by Governor Mike Kehoe.
Missouri Lawyer Normal takes goal at VGTs
“When retail outlets flip a blind eye or facilitate an area for unlawful playing, they don’t seem to be solely ignoring the regulation, they’re placing our communities in danger,” mentioned Lawyer Normal Hanaway by way of a publication on the state workplace’s website.
As a part of an announcement from the authorized hierarchy within the Ozark State, 5 main authorized circumstances have been opened towards retail companies in Dunklin County for internet hosting unauthorised gaming machines.
These places have been highlighted by the Lawyer Normal’s submit. They embrace Low cost Spirits and Tobacco, Kennett Liquor and Tobacco, and Laura’s Mini Mart in Kennett, together with Dixie Package deal and Swindle’s Fast Store in Malden.
“Selling playing is a felony offense that harms our group by taking Missourians’ hard-earned cash. I’m proud to work with the Lawyer Normal’s Workplace to carry those that function unlawful slot machines accountable,” mentioned Dunklin County Prosecuting Lawyer Nicholas Jain.
In an announcement on social media, Hanaway introduced the upcoming civil motion, saying, “Our Workplace will proceed to work with native prosecutors and state officers to root out these unlawful playing halls.”
Unlawful VGTs are within the crosshairs of the Lawyer Normal
Missouri has had a long-established relationship with one type of betting or one other: lotteries, accredited in 1986; riverboat places, accredited in 1994; and day by day fantasy sports activities, authorized since 2010.
In December 2025, we reported on the brand new avenues coming to the state by means of sports betting. This modification to the Present-Me State’s playing legal guidelines permitted FanDuel and bet365 to realize new playing floor and a number of would-be bettors consequently.
What is prohibited and stays so is any type of digital gaming machines or the VGT’s talked about within the Lawyer Normal’s publication.
“Lawlessness has at all times been a magnet for organized crime. My Workplace will maintain any enterprise accountable for profiting off of illegal exercise, and we are going to do every little thing in our energy to close unlawful gaming and playing machines down,” concluded Hanaway.
Featured picture: Office of the Missouri Attorney General
The submit Missouri Attorney General Hanaway launches crackdown on illegal gambling machines appeared first on ReadWrite.
