The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry is wading into the fight against video lottery machines, raising concerns about fragmented oversight and retroactive legalization.
This week, the House Emerging Issues Committee held a public hearing on HB 2989. The bill would legalize video lottery terminals, or VLTs, statewide and require licenses for manufacturers, retailers and operators.
The Missouri Chamber opposes VLT legalization due to a lack of regulatory parity. While proposed legislation claims to bring VLTs out of legal gray areas and into a regulated system, the bills actually create a separate and uneven set of rules. Instead of bringing VLTs under existing gaming oversight, the legislation sets up a parallel regulatory structure, raising real concerns about fairness and consistency.
“Missouri does not normally regulate industries this way,” said Jared Hankinson, vice president of government affairs for the Missouri Chamber. “We don’t impose lighter environmental standards on small operators. We don’t relax workplace safety laws based on business model, and we shouldn’t fragment gaming oversight either. If gaming is legal, it should be regulated consistently, transparently and evenly across the industry.”
Hankinson testified that HB 2989 is problematic for additional reasons, as well.
“It retroactively legitimizes unlawful operators, and it expands high-risk gambling into vulnerable communities without adequate safeguards,” Hankinson said.
Hankinson referred to the public harm associated with convenience-based gambling. Placed in gas stations, bars and neighborhood businesses, VLTs prey on casual gamblers and increase addiction risks.
These concerns align with findings from the Missouri Chamber Foundation’s Safer Missouri, Stronger Missouri report, which emphasizes the importance of addressing substance misuse and mental health challenges – both of which are tied to crime, workforce participation and community stability.
“The reality of it is when you have these machines, you also have illegal substances and violent activities going on in these areas,” said Shannon Cooper, representing the City of Kansas City.
Similar legislation, SB 862, has been filed in the Senate.
For more information, contact Hankinson at jhankinson@mochamber.com or (573) 634-3511.
