We commend Attorney General Catherine Hanaway for her decisive action to enforce state law and protect Missouri communities from the rampant proliferation of illegal slot machines. As she correctly noted, these unregulated “gray market” machines have operated with impunity for too long, bypassing the rigorous background checks, consumer protections and tax obligations that Missourians voted for when they approved our state’s licensed casinos.
We urge the General Assembly to follow the Attorney General’s lead and reject new legislation being proposed this session that seeks to reward years of illegal conduct with a legislative bailout that Missourians have overwhelmingly made clear they do not want.
We stand firmly with law enforcement, the Attorney General and the many local communities who are calling for the removal of these illegal devices rather than their authorization.