Missouri Judge Rules “No-Chance” Machines Are Illegal Gambling Devices
A federal judge in Missouri has ruled that Torch Electronics’ “no-chance” gaming machines found in gas stations and convenience stores constitute illegal gambling devices under state law, delivering a significant blow to operators who argue the games fall outside state gambling statutes.
In a Feb. 13 declaratory judgment in TNT Amusements, Inc. v. Torch Electronics, LLC, U.S. District Judge John A. Ross ruled that the devices manufactured by Torch Electronics are “gambling devices” under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 572.010 and “therefore are illegal under Missouri law when operated outside a licensed casino.
The ruling builds on an October 2025 jury verdict in the same case, in which jurors found that Torch misrepresented the legality of its machines and violated Missouri law. The jury awarded $500,000 to the plaintiff and competitor TNT Amusements.
Court: Element of Chance Is Material
At the center of the dispute was whether the “no chance” games truly remove the element of chance through features like the “prize viewer,” which displays the next payout.
Operators like Torch argue the devices are “skill games.” They contend that preview features allow players to see outcomes in advance and therefore avoid falling under gambling definitions.
Judge Ross concluded that they do not.
The court found that the machines meet Missouri’s statutory definition of a gambling device. That’s because players “risk[] something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance” and that the devices are “usable in the playing phases of any gambling activity.”
The order emphasized that the games rely on shuffled pools of prize multipliers and random number generators, meaning outcomes depend “in a material degree upon an element of chance.”
Even with the prize viewer, the court determined players cannot predict future outcomes beyond the next play and may still wager funds on uncertain results. The availability of the preview feature was deemed immaterial to whether the devices qualify as gambling devices under Missouri law.
Tennessee Court Also Ruled Against Torch
The Missouri decision marks the second court to conclude Torch’s “No Chance Games” violate state gambling laws.
In July 2025, a Tennessee Chancery Court declared the “No Chance Games” unlawful under state law. The three-judge panel similarly rejected Torch’s arguments that features like “prize viewer” removed the chance from the games. It found that preview tools did not eliminate the machines’ underlying element of chance.
The manufacturer had also argued that Tennessee’s gambling statutes are unconstitutionally vague.
Missouri Looks to Legalize Video Gaming
Judge Ross’s ruling arrives amid legislative efforts to legalize and regulate video lottery terminals (VLTs) in Missouri.
Bills such as House Bill 2989 and Senate Bill 850 seek to establish a statutory framework for licensed VLTs in retail locations. That could potentially create a regulated pathway for distributed gaming terminals — even as courts rule that current unregulated machines violate existing law.
Supporters frame legalizing VLTs as allowing business owners to install regulated devices rather than unlicensed terminals like Torch’s “no chance” games.
On Feb. 16, the Missouri House passed HB 2989, sending the measure to the Senate.
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