Unregulated slot-style machines have spread through Missouri gas stations and convenience stores. No age limit. No supervision. No state oversight. Local news showed kids playing them.
On April 5, 2023, the Missouri Senate voted on Senate Amendment 11 to Senate Bill 30 — an amendment to put those machines under state licensing and regulation. These requirements are quoted from the amendment’s own text:
The amendment failed, 11–20. Not one of those protections became law.
April 2023 — Carter votes to regulate the machines and keep kids off them. The amendment fails, 11–20.
February 2026 — A federal judge rules the machines are illegal gambling devices.
February 2026 — Attorney General Catherine Hanaway sues five retailers for operating them.
April 2026 — Facing prosecution, the state’s largest operator shuts its games off.
She saw it in 2023. The state acted in 2026.