Letter: Missouri needs to crack down on illegal slot machines
$5,000 Welcome Bonus
I represent the Missouri Home Dock Cities Association. Regarding "Casino cities in Missouri call for crackdown on illegal gambling" (Feb. 24): Backers of the illegal slot machines that have flooded Missouri convenience stores, truck stops and bars are asking Missouri lawmakers to approve legislation enabling the Missouri Lottery Commission to regulate these machines as video lottery terminals. I believe these proposed bills violate the Missouri Constitution, which restricts the use of gambling machines to inside licensed casinos.
These machines have been declared illegal by a Platte County Court judge. The bills attempt to quietly circumvent the vote of the people by authorizing an unfettered expansion of illegal slot machines across Missouri.
It is time that Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, all county prosecutors and law enforcement agencies statewide to aggressively enforce Missouri’s laws prohibiting the use of these machines and prosecute the profiteers.
Similar legislation has been repeatedly rejected, yet these illegal machines continue to operate and are often located sometimes in businesses with easy access to children and teens. I urge the Missouri General Assembly to once again reject any effort to allow any form of illegal video machine gaming outside of our state’s licensed casinos, and to continue regulation of gaming by the Missouri Gaming Commission.
Mike Moeller, mayor • Maryland Heights
