City planning staff introduced a proposed amendment to Belton's code (Bill 2025‑64) to prohibit entertainment devices that provide monetary prizes, often called "no‑chance gaming machines." Staff framed the amendment as aligning Belton with recent actions by nearby cities and court rulings: "Kansas City did pass an ordinance number 250832," a staff member said, and Springfield's ordinance has been upheld in litigation, which provided a legal model to follow.

Staff said the goal is to prohibit the specific devices, not to "shut down businesses" that offer other services. The draft code would prohibit devices that dispense monetary prizes while allowing affected businesses to continue operating under their primary business uses. Staff estimated about a dozen businesses "in that range" may have machines but said they did not have a definitive inventory or a complete study of crime related to the devices.

Council members pushed for clarity on enforcement, whether machines are typically leased, and whether the city had notified affected businesses. One council member said machine operators commonly lease devices and split profits with the leasing company; staff said that model appears common but the city has not confirmed it for every local business. Council member Richardson noted he had not seen reported crime tied to local machines and urged caution about sudden enforcement.

Staff said the ordinance language follows the Springfield and Kansas City models and that if adopted, staff would notify known businesses and set a compliance date (noted in staff remarks as 01/01/2026). The item passed its first reading and will return for a subsequent council action; staff and council discussed outreach before a final reading.

Transcript notes inconsistency in how the parks director's name appears elsewhere in the record; this article uses the name as introduced by staff during that introduction segment. The council did not vote on a final ordinance during the meeting.