Rep. Curt Schroder has an idea to not only discourage illegal video poker machines, but to make some money in the process. He says that there are as many as 17,000 illegal video poker machines in the state currently running in bars and restaurants, and he thinks he has found a way to make it a win-win for them.

Schroder is the ranking Republican on the House Gaming Oversight Committee and he says that he wants state and federal law enforcement officials to investigate the owners of the illegal video poker machines. He says that the owners of the illegal video poker machines owe the state thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes.

Right now the video poker machines are running illegally within the state and the profits are being split between the bar owners and the poker machine owners – but they aren’t paying taxes on their winnings. The state and the governor are looking to possibly make these video poker machines legal, and if they are the money would go towards college student loans.

Schroder says that there is currently millions of dollars feeding through the video poker system illegally that could do a lot of good for the state. He has contacted the FBI, US Attorney Eric Holder, and state Attorney General Tom Corbitt to see if these owners are reporting their wins from the illegal video poker machines and if they are paying taxes on them. If they aren’t, he wants them to start.