FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 27, 2026)– Attorney General Russell Coleman announced today the Kentucky Court of Appeals unanimously ruled in favor of the General Assembly’s ban of so-called “gray machines.” The Attorney General’s Office has successfully defended the General Assembly’s law since its passage.
“As Kentucky’s policymaker, the General Assembly has taken strong and bipartisan steps to protect families from illegal gaming,” said Attorney General Coleman. “Our Office constantly stands ready to defend Kentucky law in court, and we are proud to deliver this hard-fought victory for our Commonwealth.”
This appeal 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, General Coleman sent legal guidance to Kentucky prosecutors and law enforcement clarifying the illegality of gray machines and certain other gambling devices and 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.
“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. 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," said Speaker Osborne.
The Attorney General’s Solicitor General Matt Kuhn defended the law at the Court of Appeals with Principal Deputy Solicitor General Jack Heyburn and Deputy Solicitor General Jacob Abrahamson. Executive Director of the AG’s Office of Civil and Environmental Law Aaron J. Silletto led the defense of the law at the Franklin Circuit Court with assistance from Assistant Attorney General Zachary Zimmerer.
Read the unanimous Court of Appeals ruling.