(Newswire.net — March 16, 2020) —
What is the bill about?
Missouri is looking forward to passing the bill in the legislature, which will be a solution to the unlicensed machines which are roaming the United States. It is directed not only to the regulation of the gaming activity but bringing extra revenue for the country as well.
Gaming machines have become very rampant in the state of Missouri, but they have done nothing for the government reserves. The machines are not currently regulated, and the operators are not obliged to pay any form of tax.
The bill, which is sponsored by State Senator Denny Hoskins is looking to address all these concerns. It also legalizes video lottery game machines everywhere – in fraternal and veterans’ organizations, retail locations, truck stops. It is projected that terminals will be connected to a centralized computer system and the state lottery commission will oversee it. They will be placed in a supervised area, where people at the age of 21 or older can have the possibility to access it.
However, it is still unclear whether the bill will automatically legalize the machines that are currently operating or not. Hoskins did not provide any details but mentioned that some of them could be grandfathered.
In general, though gambling is very popular in the United States and people are frequently going to real casinos, online gambling is also taking place in the recent period. People are more inclined to play online slot games, live poker, and other games via their smartphones and computers, rather than going outside. First of all, it is very comfortable and provides additional entertainment to the players. So some of the users who prefer to play online may not see a big problem in this regulation.
One of the main concerns of the bill is the fact to ensure, children are not allowed to access gaming machines easily. John Rizzo, who is also a State Senator, declared that the machines near gas stations were accessible to everyone, including little children.
The Missouri Senate adopted a measure to shut down these types of machines on February 20, however, it faced opposition from the legislature. These machines can mainly be found at gas stations and bars, and a group of senators immediately confronted any legislation that would hamper the operation of these machines.
Marcus Prater, who is the Executive Director of AGEM, said that the regulated gaming industry had rarely been united on a single issue.
Business owners hope that this bill will pass. They also noted that the addition of lottery terminals in restaurants and bars would incentivize customers to play while they drink and dine.
How can it endanger a gaming industry?
Regulations always pose a threat not only video games but other fields as well. In this case, the main problem could be associated with finances. If you put the extra money on the operators and require an additional commission fee, they will simply shut down the gaming machines and stop operating, which might leave some people unsatisfied. It is also important to point out that the crackdown will mainly work on more prominent entities and might jeopardize the operation of smaller ones. Generally speaking, regulations tend to be always restrictive, and they bring more harm than benefits. So if the bill passes, it will undoubtedly affect the gaming industry and lead operators to abolish their services.