Missouri Attorney General Targets Illegal Gambling Machines in Greene County

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced on Wednesday, March 18, that the state has filed two felony counts of first-degree promoting gambling against a convenience store in Greene County, alleging it contained 12 slot machine-style games, which are now illegal, according to state law.

Charges Filed Against Manager of Brookline Store

The charges are part of a broader statewide effort to eliminate such machines since Hanaway took office in September. In the past, video lottery terminals (VLTs) have operated in what was considered a legal gray area under state law. However, over the past weeks, legislators have been tightening the loop that VLTs have been operating in as a Missouri federal judge deemed gambling machines illegal in February.

The two felony counts of first-degree promoting gambling have been filed against Himanshu Patel, the managing officer of Briarwood One Stop in Brookline, southwest of Springfield. If convicted, Patel could face up to four years in prison. Additionally, the attorney general’s office has also filed a civil lawsuit against Briarwood One Stop. It seeks a permanent injunction to bar the store from offering gambling services and to require the owner to pay a $1,000 penalty for each violation of the Merchandising Practices Act.

According to Hanaway, authorities seized 12 gambling machines from the store along with more than $30,000 in cash, including funds from a redemption machine. She added that the machines were operated by Torch Electronics, a Wildwood-based company responsible for most VLTs in the state. 

Attorney General Ramps Up Efforts Against VLTs

Hanaway has taken a stronger stance than her predecessors, explicitly urging businesses to remove VLTs right away. Hanaway said the issue is a key priority, noting concern about the widespread presence of the machines across the state. She emphasized that, regardless of what vendors may have told store owners, the machines are illegal. 

Hanaway added that businesses can avoid trouble by unplugging the devices, shutting them down, and possibly returning them to the vendors who supplied them. Hanaway also emphasized that removing VLTs is especially important because they are often located in lower-income neighborhoods and could potentially contribute to the growth of organized crime.

Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson commended Hanaway’s statewide enforcement strategy, noting that a coordinated effort among all parties is essential to address the machines. He added that this is currently the only criminal case involving VLTs pending in Greene County.

In other parts of Missouri, other prosecutors are also preparing to apply the new measures against VLTs. For example, Charles County Prosecutor Joseph McCulloch recently gave businesses until April 1, 2026, to comply with the new regulations by removing VLTs from their properties. Failure to do so before the deadline would result in forcible removal of the devices by authorities and potentially legal troubles for the owners.