Missouri lawmakers have once again rejected efforts to legalize video gambling machines, ending a years-long push to regulate the controversial devices found in gas stations, bars and convenience stores across the state.
According to St. Louis Public Radio, the bipartisan Senate Select Committee on Gaming voted unanimously against the latest proposal on Wednesday, effectively killing the bill for the 2026 legislative session.
The machines – commonly referred to as video lottery terminals, or VLTs – have operated for years in a legal gray area in Missouri. Supporters argued that legalization would allow the state to regulate the machines and collect tax revenue for education programs.
The legislation would have placed the devices under oversight from the Missouri Lottery Commission, limited wagers to $4 per game, and prohibited anyone under 21 from playing.
Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, who chaired the gaming committee, opposed the proposal.
“I think we have enough dysfunction in our families that [Missourians] need to hang on to their money, support their family,” O’Laughlin said, according to St. Louis Public Radio.
She also argued that any major expansion of gambling should be decided directly by Missouri voters.
“So if people want to vote for that, they need to put it on the ballot,” O’Laughlin said.
The debate comes after a federal judge ruled earlier this year that the machines qualify as illegal gambling devices under Missouri law. Following that ruling, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed lawsuits against businesses operating the machines.
In April, Torch Electronics – Missouri’s largest supplier of the devices – reportedly unplugged its machines statewide.
Supporters of legalization, including state Rep. Bill Hardwick, argued regulation would provide oversight and consumer protections.
“I see that, after all the noise and the hubbub, what you’re doing actually is a sensible thing for the state of Missouri,” Hardwick told lawmakers during committee hearings earlier this year.
The issue is expected to return to the Missouri legislature in future sessions as lawmakers continue debating gambling expansion and regulation.
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