{"id":148515,"date":"2020-09-13T03:00:11","date_gmt":"2020-09-13T10:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=148515"},"modified":"2020-09-13T14:18:02","modified_gmt":"2020-09-13T21:18:02","slug":"missouri-gaming-equipment-manufacturer-still-funding-political-campaigns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/missouri-gaming-equipment-manufacturer-still-funding-political-campaigns\/","title":{"rendered":"Missouri Gaming Equipment Manufacturer Still Funding Political Campaigns\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Torch Electronics, a provider of slot machine-like games to Missouri businesses, continues to donate to the campaigns of state politicians who could vote on whether the devices are legal.<\/p>\n

\"Torch
Dave McCall plays a digital slot machine in St. Louis’ South Public Market last year. (Image: Troy Stolt\/St. Louis Post-Dispatch)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Missouri-based company is one of the largest contributors to Missouri Growth, a political action committee (PAC) which recently spent approximately $37,000 on Democratic and Republican races for state House or Senate seats, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch<\/em>. Torch donated $90,000 to the PAC in June, the regional newspaper said.<\/p>\n

\n

Torch also contributed more than $20,000 to the current re-election campaign of Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican. The donation was made through another PAC: Uniting Missouri.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Earlier this year, the state\u2019s legislature attempted to ban the kinds of slot-like devices provided by Torch. The legislative effort failed.<\/p>\n

Judge Drops Charge Against Torch<\/h2>\n

Torch won a legal victory this month after a judge dismissed a gaming charge against the company. Chariton County Associate Circuit Judge Andrea Vandeloecht dropped a first-degree promoting gambling case against Torch after she ruled there was insufficient probable cause for the case to continue, the Post-Dispatch <\/em>said.<\/p>\n

Linn County<\/a> Prosecutor Shiante McMahon charged Torch in January with the felony after gaming devices were seized from a convenience store.\u00a0She plans to refile the charge. If found guilty, the company could pay a $10,000 fine, the newspaper said.<\/p>\n

Last year, gaming devices like those provided by Torch were found in an estimated 665 businesses in the state, Missourian.com<\/em>, an online news site, reported, based on information from a legislative source. At least 80 complaints were filed with the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) about the devices, the report added.<\/p>\n

The gaming devices currently are not regulated. Their proceeds are not taxed, and no money from their use goes to fund public education, in contrast to regulated slots.<\/p>\n

State Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, told the Post-Dispatch<\/em> the slot-like games \u201cfleece our schools of vital funding.<\/p>\n

I continue to believe these machines are illegal and am hopeful [a] \u2026 pending court case will provide clarity to the situation,\u201d Hegeman added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In Platte County, Kansas-based Integrity Gaming has been charged with first-degree promoting gambling. Last month, the case went to trial and Platte County Circuit Judge Thomas Fincham is expected to announce a verdict later this month, the Post-Dispatch<\/em> said.<\/p>\n

Torch Says No Element of Chance<\/h2>\n

Torch terminals resemble slot machines. A player puts in money, selects a game to play, and then selects a wager, the Post-Dispatch<\/em> explained. Winners get paid by a cashier at the business where terminals are located, typically at convenience stores, restaurants, and small markets.<\/p>\n

Torch contends its gaming machines are legal because there is no \u201celement of chance,\u201d the Post-Dispatch <\/em>said. Players can view the outcome of their wager before moving ahead.<\/p>\n

Company officials further say their machines \u201cfall outside the definition of a \u2018gambling device\u2019 under Missouri law,\u201d the Post-Dispatch<\/em> said. They call them \u201cno-chance game machines.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gregg Keller, a spokesman for Torch and a state Republican political operative, told the Post-Dispatch<\/em> last week the company\u2019s machines \u201cadhere to the letter and the spirit of the law, and we appreciate the Court making the same finding.\u201d Casino.org<\/em> reached out to Keller for additional comment, but he did not respond immediately.<\/p>\n

Both the MGC and Missouri Highway Patrol have concluded the Torch machines are \u201cgambling devices.\u201d That makes them illegal unless they are in regulated casinos, the Post-Dispatch<\/em> said.<\/p>\n

Also, Missouri Lottery officials are concerned the gaming devices compete with lottery ticket sales.<\/p>\n

Between March and June, the use of slots and other coin-operated amusement machines in businesses was banned by Missouri health officials<\/a> because of coronavirus risk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Torch Electronics, a provider of slot machine-like games to Missouri businesses, continues to donate to the campaigns of state politicians who could vote on whether the devices are legal. The Missouri-based company is one of the largest contributors to Missouri Growth, a political action committee (PAC) which recently spent approximately $37,000 on Democratic and Republican […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":148516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,61],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMissouri Gaming Equipment Maker Still Funding Political Campaigns\u00a0\u00a0<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Torch Electronics, a provider of slot machine-like games, donated to Missouri legislators' campaigns. It also funded the governor's campaign.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/missouri-gaming-equipment-manufacturer-still-funding-political-campaigns\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Missouri Gaming Equipment Maker Still Funding Political Campaigns\u00a0\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Torch Electronics, a provider of slot machine-like games, donated to Missouri legislators' campaigns. It also funded the governor's campaign.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/missouri-gaming-equipment-manufacturer-still-funding-political-campaigns\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-09-13T10:00:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-09-13T21:18:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Torch.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1633\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1225\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ed Silverstein\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@casinoorgedsilv\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ed Silverstein\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/missouri-gaming-equipment-manufacturer-still-funding-political-campaigns\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/missouri-gaming-equipment-manufacturer-still-funding-political-campaigns\/\",\"name\":\"Missouri Gaming Equipment Maker Still Funding Political Campaigns\u00a0\u00a0\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/missouri-gaming-equipment-manufacturer-still-funding-political-campaigns\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/missouri-gaming-equipment-manufacturer-still-funding-political-campaigns\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Torch.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-09-13T10:00:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-09-13T21:18:02+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/b3771b02527bcbda9af984b9b1ff098e\"},\"description\":\"Torch Electronics, a provider of slot machine-like games, donated to Missouri legislators' campaigns. 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