Missouri AG Catherine Hanaway Reaffirms Crackdown on Video Gaming Terminals

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is sticking to her position that video gaming terminals (VGTs) are illegal when players cannot affect the outcome. That matters for bars, restaurants, gas stations, and the vendors selling and servicing the machines, because the state is now pairing lawsuits with warrants and seizures across 10 counties.

1. Two lawsuits were filed against Hanaway in recent weeks: one by a local bar owner and another by the Missouri Licensing Advocacy Group (MOLAG). Both argue that bars, restaurants, and gas stations have not been given a real chance to defend themselves against the crackdown.
2. The lawsuits also say the dispute over VGTs should be decided by the Missouri legislature, not by the Attorney General. The source notes that Missouri lawmakers have not explicitly banned or regulated VGTs.
3. In an interview with KY3 reporter Hannah Falcon, Hanaway said any machine where money is on the line and players cannot affect the outcome is, in practice, a “game of chance,” and therefore illegal under Missouri law. Her office, she said, is “working it from both ends.”
4. Hanaway said her team has already reached agreements with some of the biggest owners and distributors of VGTs. She also said authorities have been granted search warrants and have seized machines from venues across 10 counties.
5. Falcon asked what warnings and process retailers receive before escalation. Hanaway said the venues are first investigated “just like they would if they were committing any other crime.” One of the lawsuits is set for a hearing next month.

For high-risk operators and payment providers, the useful detail here is not the rhetoric but the enforcement pattern: the AG is treating the issue as illegal gambling enforcement, not a policy debate. Once a state starts pairing investigations, warrants, seizures, and settlements, the operational risk moves quickly from theory to account-level exposure.