FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Kentucky Court of Appeals has unanimously ruled in favor of the General Assembly's ban on so-called "gray machines," Attorney General Russell Coleman announced Friday.
"As Kentucky's policymaker, the General Assembly has taken strong and bipartisan steps to protect families from illegal gaming," Coleman said. "Our Office constantly stands ready to defend Kentucky law in court, and we are proud to deliver this hard-won victory for our Commonwealth."
The ruling comes after the Franklin Circuit Court ruled in favor of the Attorney General in 2024, granting summary judgment in the law's favor on every issue. In September 2024, Coleman sent legal guidance to Kentucky prosecutors and law enforcement clarifying the illegality of gray machines and certain other gambling devices, reaffirming their ability to investigate and prosecute violations of the Commonwealth's gambling laws.
In 2023, the General Assembly passed HB 594, sponsored by Representative Killian Timoney (R-Nicholasville) and House Speaker David Osborne (R-Prospect), to outlaw gray machines, AG Coleman reported.
"Today's decision by the Court of Appeals is good news for Kentuckians and upholds a duly-enacted law passed to protect Kentuckians and strengthen our communities," Osborne said. "We appreciate the Attorney General's work in defending this law and will continue to pass commonsense laws that protect families and uphold the rule of law."
