APRIL 22-28, 2024 10 · SBJ.NET NEWS Give yourself a time raise Stress-free payroll solutions with the fastest support in the world. apluspayroll.com SPD issues 36 citations to businesses for violating city’s gaming machine ban by Karen Craigo · kcraigo@sbj.net Officers from the Springfield Police Department have issued 36 citations to businesses for violating the city’s ban of cash-prize gaming machines. A news release from the city named 26 businesses that received at least one citation since the ordinance was enacted. Included on the list issued April 15 were convenience stores, smoke and vape shops, a bar and a grocery store. The release said officers with the department’s Community Services Section have been tasked with checking for compliance with the new ordinance and enforcing it. On Feb. 12, Springfield City Council passed an ordinance banning entertainment devices offering monetary prizes within the city. The morning after the ordinance passed, Chief Paul Williams confirmed that enforcement would begin immediately. Under the ordinance, violating businesses are fined $500 per machine for a first offense and $1,000 per machine for a second offense. For a third offense, the ordinance calls for an additional fine of $1,000 per machine plus a minimum jail sentence of 30 days, and the court is restricted by the ordinance from suspending this minimum sentence. A spokesperson from SPD declined to clarify whether any of the 36 citations issued were for second or third offenses. Williams said the top priority would be those businesses that specialize in the entertainment devices. “The top priority would be those places that are unique – the video gaming centers where nothing but this is going on,” Williams said at the time. “Then we’ll move on to those that have them as an extracurricular part of the business.” Gaming centers were not included on the list released by SPD. However, on March 19, multiple law enforcement agencies, including SPD and the FBI, were witnessed conducting simultaneous raids at several locations throughout the city, and video gaming centers were included in the sweep. Asked about the raids, in an email, SPD Public Affairs Officer Cris Swaters said a multiagency investigation is underway and deferred further comment to Don Ledford, spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office for the Western District of Missouri. He told SBJ he had no information to provide and no criminal charges have been filed. Witness reports of the March 19 raids popped up on community crime-watch pages on Facebook, with accounts of some electronic gaming machines being removed from businesses. An SBJ staffer witnessed similar activity in person at a former Family Video store on the corner of Scenic Avenue and Mount Vernon Street. KY3 reported on raids at Lucky 7’s and Big Win gaming rooms, at 1842 and 1928 S. Glenstone Ave. and 1135 E. Commercial St., respectively, as well as other addresses, including a home. The addresses reported by the station were the 1700 block of South Link Avenue, the 600 block of South Scenic Avenue, the 500 block of West Bypass (two locations), 634 E. Walnut Lawn St. and 1322 E. Grand St. KY3 reported the FBI claimed to be involved in all the raids but did not give a reason for them. SPD confirmed to the station that the raids were related but did not offer other details except to say it was a multijurisdictional investigation. At a Feb. 6 council meeting, Councilmember Callie Carroll asked Williams for an update on enforcement of the ordinance, but Mayor Ken McClure told Carroll that’s a question council should not ask. Lawsuit filed Wildwood, Missouri-based Torch Electronics LLC, which manufactures the devices banned by the city ordinance, filed a lawsuit against the city of Springfield in Greene County Circuit Court on Feb. 29. In the court filing, the company seeks an injunction and declaratory judgment against the city and states that its machines are legal and the businesses using them are law abiding. The lawsuit takes issue with the law and its enforcement efforts and asks the court to put an end to them. “Torch Electronics LLC brings this action to restrain the city of Springfield from exceeding its authority in enacting and enforcing an ordinance that does not apply to Torch, effectively banning lawful Torch coin-operated amusement machines in law-abiding businesses across the Springfield community,” the petition states. The document explains that the machines are placed in businesses pursuant to license agreements that lease space to the company to operate them. It also declares that use of the machines does not constitute gambling. “By using the coin-operated amusement machines, customers of local businesses play games that are within their control and are not See SPD on page 23 Paul Williams: The top priority is businesses that specialize in cashprize gaming machines.
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