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Summary
- House Bill 594 will now go to the Senate after gaining approval from the House
- The proposal had been tabled by the House just last week
- The House decision was criticized by small businesses who operate these skill machines
The House has approved a Bill seeking to ban skill games in Kentucky in an apparent U-turn by lawmakers.
After being tabled last week, House Bill 594 will now head to the Senate, courtesy of a procedural motion made by House Speaker David Osborne. Following approval of the motion, the House passed the Bill on a 64-32 vote.
Bill Seeks to Outlaw “Gray Machines”
House Bill 594, sponsored by Rep. Killian Timoney, seeks to declare skill machines as illegal. The said machines have been popping up across Kentucky and gaining widespread support from various groups and small business owners who maintain that such games are skill-based and therefore legal. But critics of the machines, who refer to them as “gray machines”, argue otherwise and are calling for them to be banned.
Osborne said the House vote sends a clear message that gambling firms that skirt the law have no place in Kentucky.
The so-called “gray machines” are usually found in various public establishments across the state, such as gas stations, restaurants, and convenience stores. The owners of these small businesses, represented by the Kentucky Merchants and Amusement Coalition (KY MAC), say the skill machines serve as an important revenue stream for them and even helped their businesses survive the pandemic.
Skill Games Supporters Urge Senate to Reject Ban Proposal
Reacting to the Bill’s House passage this week, KY MAC president Wes Jackson said the ban will only benefit the “big businesses” in the state. He has called on the Senate to prioritize the needs of the Kentuckians and reject the proposal. Instead of banning the games, lawmakers can put forward legislation to regulate the games and impose taxes accordingly, the group argues.
Those on the other side of the spectrum, including the Kentuckians Against Illegal Gambling, an organization campaigning for a ban on what they call “illegal gaming machines”, have welcomed the decision of the House, saying the machines are rapidly transforming restaurants and gas stations into “mini-casinos”.
Opponents of the machines are also concerned about the impact these games can have on young people.
The issue has been widely debated in Kentucky over the past two years. There had been attempts to ban the machines but they ended up unsuccessful, including a similar Bill lodged in 2022 which managed to pass both the House and Senate but was unable to complete all stages by the end of the legislative session.
