Gambling Companies Pour Campaign Money Into Fight over Missouri Video Lottery Bill
Gambling donors have given more than $4 million since Jan. 1, 2025, as video lottery supporters seek votes for a bill that could open a $10 billion market.
- The battle to legalize slot machines has shifted from the Capitol to Republican Senate primaries, where gambling interests have funneled over $4 million into legislative campaigns since the start of 2025.
- Major industry players J&J Ventures and Torch Electronics boosted contributions by about 50% compared to the 2023-24 cycle, aiming to secure access to a retail gambling market with a potential $10 billion handle.
- State Sen. Jason Bean received $100,000 from gambling-aligned PACs, while former Rep. Hannah Kelly opposes the expansion, vowing to "absolutely filibuster it" if the bill reaches the Senate.
- Rep. Bill Hardwick has shepherded the bill through the House for two consecutive years, but Senate resistance led by outgoing Sen. Lincoln Hough has repeatedly blocked the measure.
- Regulation would track wagers and prevent minors from playing, replacing the unregulated "gray market" games that Attorney General Catherine Hanaway pressured Torch to shut down in April.
9 Articles
9 Articles
Joplin Globe
Gambling companies pour campaign money into fight over Missouri video lottery bill
Four days after Missouri lawmakers adjourned in May, a company hoping to crack open the state gambling market with video slot machines donated $200,000 to three of the proposal’s biggest boosters in the General Assembly.
Fight over gas-station slot machines is blowing up Missouri's GOP primaries
The fight over legalizing slot machines in Missouri gas stations and convenience stores is moving from the Capitol into Republican state Senate primaries.After years of Senate resistance, video lottery backers believe next year could bring a friendlier chamber. But three August primaries could determine how clear that path really is.The contests involve three of the highest-profile backers of video lottery and candidates who say Missouri should …
Missouri Independent
Fate of Missouri bill on gas station slot machines could turn on GOP primary results
State Rep. Bill Hardwick, a Republican from Dixon, sponsored a bill authorizing slot machines licensed by the Missouri Lottery that has passed the Missouri House in each of the past two years. He's running for a seat in the state Senate, where the proposal has been killed each year (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).The fight over legalizing slot machines in Missouri gas stations and convenience stores is moving from the Capitol into Rep…
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