A bill to ban slot-style gray machines passed the Senate and now heads to the desk of Gov. Andy Beshear.
House Bill 594 would ban “gray machines” — often referred to by supporters of the machines as “skill games” — throughout the state. Those violating the law would be fined $25,000, with the money going to the county where the violation occurred.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Killian Timoney (R-Nicholasville), said it would clarify what types of gaming devices are legal under Kentucky law. Currently, according to Timoney, Kentucky allows three types of gaming — lottery, charitable gaming, and pari-mutuel gaming.
“Kentucky has always done an excellent job of regulating gaming, and we want to continue that effort now by outlawing illegal gaming machines,” Timoney said on the House floor earlier this month.
The bill took an unusual path, however. Initially brought for a vote on the House floor on March 3, the bill was tabled after some Republicans questioned if this was the best path.
Northern Kentucky Rep. Steve Doan (R-Erlanger), who introduced a bill this session that seeks to regulate and tax gray machines in House Bill 525, requested to table the bill.
“Today, we’re presented with a binary choice — a choice between Wild West unregulated gaming or an outright ban,” Doan said at the time. “Let me tell you, neither choice is right for Kentucky.”
Doan then presented a third choice — the regulation and taxation of the machines. In addition to Doan’s House Bill 525, another bill has been filed to accomplish the same goal, but they haven’t been heard this legislative session.
The following week, though, the House caucused for nearly two hours before returning to the floor and passing the bill with little discussion.
Further, opponents of the bill say it would allow the horse racing industry to monopolize the gambling industry in Kentucky.
“For one of the elephants in the room — yes, the racetracks have seen and contributed to the language,” Timoney said. “They don’t like all of it but are not opposing the bill. No, it is not a Churchill Downs bill.”
In the Senate, two NKY Senators — Chris McDaniel (R-Ryland Heights) and Shelley Funke Frommeyer (R-Alexandria) — voted against the bill. Sens. Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) and John Schickel voted in favor of the bill.
Funke Frommeyer said she voted no because it felt like skills games should be regulated and allowed to stay in place, as opposed to just being completely banned.
“I just felt like it wasn’t the right approach for our small businesses,” Funke Frommeyer said.
Sen. Gex Williams (R-Verona) also voted in favor of the bill and said the Kentucky constitution says that gambling is illegal.
“We need to be consistent to the constitution,” Williams said.