Missouri unregulated gaming machines face further scrutiny
The state regulator has received more than 200 complaints this year.
Missouri residents opposed to unregulated gaming machines in the state’s gas stations and convenience stores say allowing these games to remain can create a risk for children, according to a recent KSDK local news report.
The Missouri Gaming Commission has received more than 200 complaints so far this year against these machines, according to the local report.
Because of unrestricted access, residents have voiced concerns that these unregulated machines could bring in players who are under the age limit mandated by the state.
Legal gambling in Missouri is limited to its 13 casinos, which do not allow players under the age of 21.
The issue of whether to allow these machines to remain in stores has been at the centre of debate for months.
Torch Electronics currently owns the majority of unregulated gaming machines throughout the state. The company recently filed a lawsuit, asking the court to bar the Missouri State Highway Patrol from “seizing machines and seeking criminal charges.”
However, the court dismissed the litigation last fall.
The state appeals court recently upheld a decision that allows the state’s highway patrol to seize machines that offer cash prizes and violate state regulations.
The decision to uphold the ruling was unanimous.
Judge Edward Ardini, one of three judges who sat on the panel for the Western District Court of Appeals, wrote an official statement that outlined the court’s reasons for upholding the ruling.
He wrote in his statement, “It is evident from plaintiffs’ amended petition that their objective in bringing this lawsuit is to enjoin law enforcement from determining the devices are criminal and seizing them.
“We are not persuaded by plaintiffs’ attempts to characterize their claim as one seeking declaratory judgment interpreting a civil statute.”
He went on to note that civil courts taking on challenges against criminal law enforcement is “bad policy.”
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