Missouri is a gambling market with a potential cash handle of $10 billion, so perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that some companies have spent millions to donate to political campaigns that support video lotteries. The debate around slot-like machines, often called video lottery terminals, has been a hot topic in the state over the past few months, with legislators even debating on a statewide vote on their legalization.
Who is Donating the Most?
J&J Ventures and Torch Electronics are the two largest donors. They have increased their political donations by roughly 50% since the beginning of 2025 compared with the 2023–24 election cycle. According to records from the Missouri Ethics Commission, J&J Ventures has contributed $3.5 million to Missouri political campaigns since 2015, with more than half of that amount donated since the beginning of 2025.
Andy Arnold, a lobbyist for J&J, said the company directs its support to candidates who align with its policy priorities. He said J&J believes political contributions and campaign involvement help ensure it has opportunities to engage with policymakers and discuss issues affecting its business.
Meanwhile, Torch Electronics, which suspended operation of its “gray market” video gaming machines in April amid pressure from Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, has contributed $1.3 million. For comparison, the company had donated $878,000 in 2023–24.
However, these two companies aren’t the only ones donating. According to an analysis of campaign finance records by the Missouri Independent, video game operators, casinos, and sports betting interests have contributed more than $4 million to Missouri political campaigns since the start of 2025.
Of that total, $3.4 million was directed to legislative campaigns, accounting for roughly one in every eight dollars reported by candidate committees and political action committees supporting legislative candidates. Not all of the contributions, however, can be directly attributed to the ongoing debate over video lottery terminals
Who Is Receiving the Money?
While various politicians have received money from the above-mentioned gambling companies, we should perhaps put more emphasis on Sen. Jason Bean, a Holcomb Republican, as he is likely to become state Senate president pro tem in 2027.
He has received the most donations from gambling-related interests in the Senate since the beginning of 2025. His campaign and affiliated PAC have reported a total of $209,294 in contributions. Of that, J&J Ventures has given $120,000 directly to Bean’s PAC, while additional PACs supported by J&J have contributed another $40,000. He has also received $25,794 from political action committees controlled by former House Speaker Steve Tilley, who lobbies on behalf of Torch.
Bean has also been publicly supportive of the introduction of video slot machines in Missouri. According to him, Missouri could potentially sustain up to 35,000 video lottery terminals. He said that, if the state achieved results similar to Illinois, the number of machines could process roughly $10 billion in annual activity and generate about $600 million in revenue for the state treasury.
Two other notable Republicans have also received money from J&J Ventures. These are Sen. Curtis Trent, a Republican from Springfield, and state Rep. Bill Hardwick, a Republican from Dixon, both of whom have supported the bill to introduce video lottery terminals in Missouri.
Interestingly, even legislators who have opposed the bill have also received money for their campaigns from gambling companies. For example, outgoing Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin has received $5,300 for her campaign committee from gambling interests. $4,800 of this came from Paladin PAC, controlled by Arnold and funded by J&J Ventures.
All of this happens as Missouri legislators are debating increasing casino taxes and entry fees for them to make up for the difference in revenue.