St. James Archives - Missourinet

Thursday’s Missouri House hearing on alleged illegal slots expected to draw crowd

October 9, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Prosecutors Association will testify Thursday in Jefferson City before a House gaming committee investigating the issue of alleged illegal slot machines.

State Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, speaks at the August 22, 2019 Missouri House Special Interim Committee on Gaming hearing. State Rep. Robert Ross, R-Yukon, is behind him. (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

A large crowd is expected to attend the House Special Interim Committee on Gaming hearing, which begins at noon at the Statehouse.

The committee will hear testimony from Missouri State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Justin McCullough and from Missouri Prosecutors Association legal counsel Steve Sokoloff.

During the committee’s last hearing in September, Missouri Lottery Executive Director May Scheve Reardon testified that illegal slot machines are hurting public education in the Show-Me State. She says the I-44 corridor has many of them, and told lawmakers about one Lottery sales representative whose territory goes from St. James to Lebanon.

“Down that I-44 corridor in six months, her route alone was down $800,000. That’s an estimated $3.2 million sales lost for six months,” Scheve Reardon testified on September 5.

Alleged illegal slot machines can be found in bars, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores.

Committee Chairman Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, tells Missourinet that illegal slot machines cost Missouri education at least $50 million last year. He says the illegal machines “are everywhere” in the state and in his district in eastern Missouri’s Jefferson County.

“But I think what we have to worry about is not what happened last year, it’s what’s going to happen next year because this is not a plateau. We are going to continue to see the loss,” Chairman Shaul told Missourinet after the September hearing.

Missouri Gaming Commission Executive Director David Grothaus testified in August that any illegal gaming machines used in Missouri negatively impact casinos and the state Lottery, reducing taxes and funding for education and veterans. Grothaus has called for the state to develop a coordinated effort to stop illegal slot machines.

Grothaus notes there’s one pending criminal case in western Missouri’s Platte County, in the Kansas City area.

Thursday is also your first opportunity to testify before the committee, and House officials have encouraged those who want to testify to call ahead. The hearing is expected to last for two to three hours.

Anyone who wants to testify Thursday should call E.J. Fleischmann in Chairman Shaul’s office. That number is (573) 751-2504.

Missouri Lottery: I-44 corridor highlights problem with illegal slot machines

September 6, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Lottery’s executive director testified Thursday in Jefferson City that illegal slot machines are hurting public education in the Show-Me State.

The Missouri Lottery logo (courtesy of Missouri Lottery)

Former State Rep. May Scheve Reardon testified before a House interim committee, telling lawmakers there’s a major issue with illegal slot machines along the I-44 corridor. She talks about one Lottery sales representative whose territory goes from St. James to Lebanon.

“Down that I-44 corridor alone in six months, her route alone was down $800,000,” Scheve Reardon testifies. “That’s an estimated $3.2 million sales lost for six months.”

She says the average monthly Lottery sales lost, per retailer with the alleged illegal machines, is $90,000.

Illegal slot machines can be found in bars, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores.

Scheve Reardon testified during a 90-minute hearing before the House Special Interim Committee on Gaming, which is chaired by State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial.

Shaul tells the audience that illegal slot machines cost Missouri education at least $50 million last year. He says the alleged illegal slot machines are hurting the Lottery, thereby impacting classrooms.

“The (Missouri) Lottery is losing revenue here, because of these alleged illegal machines. So are the (Missouri’s 13) casinos, so is everybody across that’s funding the state. The state is losing money because of these,” says Shaul.

Missouri House Special Interim Committee on Gaming Chairman Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, speaks on August 22, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Chairman Shaul tells Missourinet the public will have the opportunity to testify at the next hearing, which is October 10 in Jefferson City.

Thursday’s hearing was the committee’s second in two weeks. The Missouri Gaming Commission testified before the committee on August 22, saying the state needs a coordinated effort to stop the illegal machines.

“We’re trying to coordinate efforts among law enforcement and prosecutors, trying to educate prosecutors on how to prosecute those cases,” Gaming Commission Executive Director David Grothaus testified in August.

Grothaus notes there’s one pending criminal case in western Missouri’s Platte County, in the Kansas City area.

Scheve Reardon says the Missouri Lottery generated more than $306 million for education in fiscal year 2018.