The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has filed two felony counts of first-degree promoting gambling along with a civil action against a Greene County convenience store accused of housing illegal slot machines, according to a news release.
Court documents show the charges target Briarwood One Stop in Brookline and its managing officer, Himanshu Patel.
According to the release, the Attorney General’s Office alleges the store contains 12 illegal slot machines and is offering public access to unlicensed and unregulated games, violating the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
In February, a federal judge ruled that slot-style machines in Missouri gas stations, bars, and convenience stores are illegal.
“Businesses that allow illegal gambling to operate under their roofs are making a deliberate choice to put profit over public safety,” Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said in the release. “My office is committed to dismantling illegal gaming operations, ensuring they have no place in our communities.”
Alongside criminal penalties, Hanaway is seeking a permanent injunction to bar the business from offering gambling services.
The charges are part of a statewide initiative by the Attorney General’s Office to tackle illegal gambling machines across Missouri, the release states.
“To anyone operating illegal gaming devices: unplug, shut down, and remove them immediately,” Hanaway wrote in a social media post.