Gambling firms boost Missouri political donations
Table of contents
- Gambling interests gave Missouri lawmakers more than $4 million since the start of 2025.
- J&J Ventures donated $200,000 to 3 lawmakers only 4 days after the legislative session ended.
- Backers hope a video lottery terminal bill clears the state Senate after the 2026 elections.
Gambling companies and political action committees have poured more than $4 million into Missouri campaigns since the start of 2025, as the fight over legalizing video lottery terminals intensifies.
According to Missouri Independent, filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission show $3.4 million went directly to legislative candidates, equal to roughly 1 in every 8 dollars raised.
Only 4 days after lawmakers adjourned in May, terminal operator J&J Ventures gave $200,000 to 3 of the bill’s leading supporters in the General Assembly.
Donor money flows
J&J Ventures, based in Effingham, Illinois, is one of the largest operators of video gaming terminals in the country. The company has contributed $3.5 million to Missouri campaigns since 2015, with more than half of that total donated since the start of 2025.
J&J split its $200,000 post-session donation three ways. State Sen. Jason Bean‘s PAC received $100,000, and the remaining $100,000 was divided evenly between state Sen. Curtis Trent‘s 417 PAC and state Rep. Bill Hardwick‘s Missouri Enterprise PAC.
Its giving rose from $1.1 million to $1.8 million this cycle, an increase of roughly 64%. Torch Electronics, which suspended its unregulated terminals in April amid a joint criminal investigation by federal and state prosecutors, increased its donations from $878,000 to $1.3 million.
Andy Arnold, lobbyist for J&J Ventures, said:
“We support people that support our issues. We believe we need to play politically and campaign-wise to basically be able to have an entrance to talk to people.”
The casino-backed Missouri Gaming PAC contributed $510,000, nearly triple its previous total. Top recipients include House Speaker Jon Patterson ($249,900), Gov. Mike Kehoe ($245,000) and state Sen. Jason Bean ($209,294).
Billions at stake
State Rep. Hardwick’s video lottery bill narrowly passed the Missouri House for a second straight year. It then died in a Senate committee chaired by outgoing Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin.
Bean is unopposed in the race for Senate president pro tem and on track to hold the post in 2027. He says he has lined up support from eight returning senators, and J&J has given $120,000 directly to his PAC, plus $40,000 from affiliated PACs.
Jason Bean, Missouri state senator, said:
“We definitely have a clear path to bringing that to a vote. Right now, from what I see in the Senate, I think that vote, when we have that vote, it will pass.”
Hardwick faces 3 rivals in the Republican primary for the 16th District Senate seat, including Don Mayhew, who opposes expanding gambling. Trent is also on the ballot this year, seeking re-election. If chosen as majority floor leader, he would decide when a video lottery bill reaches the Senate floor.
Illinois offers a benchmark for the market’s potential. Its roughly 49,500 terminals handled $13.2 billion in wagers over the year ending April 30, according to the Illinois Gaming Board.
Bean estimates Missouri could support up to 35,000 terminals, generating close to $10 billion in annual wagers and as much as $600 million for the state treasury.
Legal gambling activity in Missouri already totals more than $20 billion a year in wagers, ticket sales and betting handle combined. The state’s 13 casinos handled $18.3 billion in wagers during fiscal 2025, including $17 billion on slot machines, and the Missouri Lottery sold $1.6 billion in tickets.
Missouri’s existing sports betting market has also handled $1.8 billion in wagers since its December launch.
Opposition remains firm
O’Laughlin, who chaired the committee that killed Hardwick’s bill, argues the donations show the influence of moneyed interests over policy.
Cindy O’Laughlin, outgoing Missouri Senate President Pro Tem, said:
“I’m not going to cast aspersions on my colleagues, but you know it’s about the money. It’s moneyed interests, and they are trying to convince people to vote for what they want.”
Some lawmakers argue any expansion should go to voters, since every other form of legal gambling in Missouri has been approved through a constitutional amendment. Backers counter that the state’s existing lottery clause already provides sufficient authority.
Control of the Missouri Senate will shift once at least 11 new members take office in 2027, making this year’s primary results pivotal for the bill’s prospects. With gambling interests continuing to back incumbents and challengers alike, the video lottery debate looks set to carry into next year’s legislative session.
Keep Reading
Do you have a story worth sharing?
Send it over to our editors!
