Controversial gaming machines spark debate of legality

WENTZVILLE, Mo.- With the push of a button, people can win big at bars and gas stations around the area, like at STL Throwdowns in Wentzville.

“If people have more to do, they’ll stay longer. The longer they stay, the better the business does. As staff, we deal with tips,” bartender Megan Carrillo said.

The gaming machines look like slots, but the man who owns several of them, Jim Needy, says this is not a gambling device.

“You hit a button on the machine and it tells you if you’re going to win and how much you’re going to win. It might say you’re going to win 20 cents. It might say you’ve won $20. Then, you’ve actually got to play,” Needy explained.

State code says, “a person engages in gambling when he or she stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his or her control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he or she will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.”

Needy says his machines are not a contest of chance because the machine will tell you if you will win or lose before you ever spin. He says his machines are licensed through local cities as “amusement devices,” not gambling devices.

But even for the “no-chance gaming” devices, the Missouri Gaming Commission says they are illegal.

“It has always been the position of the gaming commission that these machines are not legal,” Commission Chair Jan Zimmerman said.

Now, three new gaming parlors featuring these machines have opened in Franklin County, called Player’s Advantage.

The owner declined an interview, but we asked the Franklin County prosecutor for his take on the legality. He says he has not seen these parlors, and the answer is not so black and white. Each machine can be a little different.

“What sort of hardware, what sort of software?” prosecutor Matt Becker said.

Finding the right people to help analyze these devices can be a challenge for local authorities. For the machines he has seen, he sides with the gaming commission.

“As we’ve looked at those cases and managed to find people that can actually analyze the machines, we’ve reached a different conclusion: that these are actually gambling devices,” Becker said.

For small businesses, a winning spin creates word of mouth.

“The whole bar gets excited. It’s nice because a lot of guys will stand around and have a drink while they’re playing; one of their friends is winning,” Carillo said.

And it’s providing an opportunity for local shops that say they are following the rules.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.