"My goal is to enforce the law. Whatever you all say the law is," Hanaway said in a video, "Right now the law says these machines are illegal."
"I am very concerned that... it is going to contribute to violent crime," she said, warning that disputes over territory and profits could escalate if authorities fail to step in."
"Because I think the drugs, the gaming, the selling to kids, all those things combined... we're going to start getting turf wars and other very dangerous activity if law enforcement continues to sit idly by," she said."
"They should start removing them, like, today. Today they're illegal. Law enforcement's coming after them."
Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway ordered businesses to remove slot-style video lottery terminal machines immediately, asserting they are illegal under current law. A federal court ruled on February 13 that video lottery terminals in bars, gas stations and convenience stores satisfy Missouri's definition of illegal gambling devices when operating outside licensed casinos. Hanaway linked unregulated machines to public-safety risks, warning they can invite violent crime, turf wars and disputes over territory and profits. Her office is treating the machines as part of a broader crackdown on vice-related offenses. Probable cause statements describe machines scattered widely across the state.
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