Residents and operators clash at Jackson County hearing over unlicensed gambling devices

A public hearing at the Jackson County Legislature on Nov. 3 drew neighborhood advocates, convenience-store owners and machine operators to debate how the county should respond to unlicensed gambling machines in retail locations.

Laura Birdsong, who identified herself as representing the Independence Avenue Community Improvement District, told the legislature her group's mobile security team logged “2,012 calls” covering 131 businesses and said the gambling‑machine locations accounted for a disproportionate share of problematic activity. “Before, you see how people just would collect and those people are openly using,” she said, adding that closing one large problem site reduced related calls from roughly “32%” of their calls to about “11%.” Birdsong also tied the locations to overdoses and gun violence and asked the county to “follow suit” with Kansas City’s recent ordinance banning similar establishments.

Legislators pressed presenters for details. When asked how many machines were in the main problem site on Monroe, a presenter estimated “about 25 machines.” Birdsong described outreach by her group, including Narcan distribution and referrals to shelters, and testified she is a harm‑reduction specialist who has worked directly with people at those sites.

Mark Berry, an attorney representing convenience‑store owners, urged the legislature to include a severability clause and to allow legitimate store owners to apply for county licensing so revenue and oversight could be captured rather than driving activity underground. “I'd ask that as part of the severability clause that they have the opportunity to apply to Jackson County and get granted a license,” Berry said, arguing licensing would permit tax collection and regulatory oversight.

Thomas Gartman, chief financial officer of Kansas Capital Group, said his company operates what he called pre‑reveal machines in the region and reported “600 of them” in the Greater Kansas City area and “about 250 to 300” in Jackson County. Gartman said his firm’s locations differ from the sites flagged by neighborhood advocates; he said his company removes machines from stores that fail to follow safety and monitoring practices.

The clerk read an ordinance (6007) later in the meeting that would add a county code section on unlicensed gambling devices. Committee members asked that the ordinance be held for further work; the legislature agreed to hold the measure for additional review rather than vote on it that day.

What happens next: the county will retain the matter for committee consideration; several legislators requested additional data on machine counts, revenue splits and enforcement options so the body can weigh licensing, fines or a ban.