Charges have been filed by Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Jain against six Dunklin County business owners for providing illegal gambling machines in five businesses. In addition to criminal charges, the Attorney General’s office has filed civil lawsuits.
Sandipkumar Patel, Anwar Abo Alrejal Abdulrazzaq, Janak Kikani, Pranavkumar K. Koshyia, Prerak N. Patel, and Ameenz Yahya each face one count of promoting gambling, a felony in Missouri.
The machines in question are unregulated and one of two types: video lottery terminals and fishing table games. According to investigators, to participate, a user inserts cash, plays the game, then receives a ticket when they are finished. The user the cashes the ticket out at the retail shop.
According to Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Jain, “Promoting gambling is a felony offense that harms our community by taking Missourians’ hard-earned money.”
Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has announced her office has filed lawsuits against the five businesses where the unregulated machines were operated – three in Kennett and two in Malden:
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Discount Spirits and Tobacco in Kennett
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Kennett Liquor and Tobacco in Kennett
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Laura’s Mini Mart in Kennett
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Swindle’s Quick Shop in Malden
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Dixie Package in Malden
The AG’s lawsuits seek civil penalties and a permanent stop to the gambling.
Hananway stated “When retail shops turn a blind eye or facilitate a space for illegal gambling, they are not only ignoring the law, they are putting our communities at risk.”
The felony charges and civil lawsuits are the result of an investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control.