Kentucky Judge Upholds Ban on Controversial Gray Machines

In a decisive move, a Franklin County Circuit Judge has upheld Kentucky’s ban on “gray machines,” slot-like devices that dispense cash payouts. Announced on June 28, this ruling bolsters state officials’ efforts to remove these machines from convenience stores, gas stations, and bars across Kentucky. Judge Phillip Shepherd, presiding over the case, granted Attorney General Russell Coleman’s request for summary judgment, a decision handed down without the necessity of a trial. Coleman lauded the ruling as a significant victory for the Legislature’s role in safeguarding public interests, highlighting the strong bipartisan action taken against the tenuous legal standing of these machines.

The debate over gray machines has been a hot topic throughout this year’s legislative session, sparking considerable controversy. Supporters have argued these machines are legitimate “skill games,” proposing alternate legislative measures to regulate and tax them. Opponents, however, caution that these machines could herald the most significant expansion of gambling in Kentucky’s history.

The debate over gray machines has been a hot topic throughout this year’s legislative session, sparking considerable controversy. Supporters have argued these machines are legitimate “skill games,” proposing alternate legislative measures to regulate and tax them. Opponents, however, caution that these machines could herald the most significant expansion of gambling in Kentucky’s history. Leading the legal charge against the ban, ARKK Properties and other stakeholders like Pace-O-Matic—creator of the popular Burning Barrel machine—argued the ban violated free speech, was arbitrary, and impeded contracts. Judge Shepherd found these claims unconvincing, asserting that immunity from regulation for these machines was unreasonable in light of Kentucky’s strict gambling laws.