A Greene County convenience store owner is facing the first criminal charges in the county for housing unregulated video lottery terminal machines.
The charges follow a statewide push against the machines after a federal judge ruled they are gambling devices, illegal outside of casinos.
Officials hope the criminal charges will encourage other businesses to voluntarily remove the machines, which are often operated by Torch Electronics.
The first criminal charges have been filed in Greene County against a convenience store owner for housing unregulated video lottery terminal machines, or VLTs, in a local store.
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced the charges at a news conference on Wednesday, March 18, in Springfield.
