The lawmakers in Missouri have been working to develop the state’s gaming industry. The Missouri state officials are in the works to add a new casino in Lake of the Ozarks.
This area is one of the state’s popular tourist attraction sites. Building a casino in Lake of the Ozarks would attract even more visitors to the area.
Missouri has always been one of the states with minor gambling activities. Things are bound to change once the state passes the bill. Together with the state officials, the lawmakers are working to weigh the pros and cons of having new casinos in various places in the state.
The Osage Nation has been on the front line in this campaign. The organization consists of creative gambling operators. The operators are specifically interested in having a Class III casino at the Lake of the Ozarks.
State Representative Ron Hicks filed House Joint Resolution 127, which allows the residents of Missouri to amend the state constitution to allow expedition of gambling boats near or on Osage River. The amendment would allow added gambling licenses allocated explicitly for the Osage River. The amendment issues will go on the ballot on November 2022 or have a distinct election following the governor’s decision.
According to the Osage Nation, the gambling operators are willing to invest $60 million to have a gambling area there. Osage River Gaming released a statement indicating that they worked with State Representative Hicks and other officials representing the people of Lake of Ozarks who support level tax and regulatory playing field for Missouri businesses.
The gaming facility will generate over $100 million of new revenue every year to the Lake of Ozarks economy and over $26 million in local and state tax revenue.
Few anti-gambling groups are likely to shoot down this idea. However, the prediction is that many Lake area residents are likely to support this idea since it is a win-win situation for gambling communities and businesses.
History of Missouri Gambling Laws
Missouri’s constitution only allowed the construction of casinos on or near the Mississippi and Missouri rivers for the longest time. This law can be traced back to when the state first permitted casino gambling and saw it happening on excursion boats on the major rivers of Missouri.
Several amendments of the Missouri law have heavily diluted these gambling laws to the extent that gamblers are not aware they are in an “excursion gambling boat” anytime they step into a casino in Missouri.
The state laws still prohibit the development of casinos outside the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Missouri has a limit of 13 gambling boat permits in the area. Osage River Gaming has been fighting to change these laws to allow more casinos in the area. The new bill might be the change that Osage River Gaming has been seeking all along.
Will Missouri Legalize Sports Betting?
The lawmakers in Missouri are fighting for the expansion of Casinos in the area and legalizing sports betting. Over half the country legalized sports betting in 2018, and Missouri wants to join the club.
Several people are on board with sports betting since a team of pro-sports betting organizers and lawmakers tabled Bill 764. Bill 764 permits both online and retail sportsbooks to operate in Missouri.
Tax revenue earned from legal betting businesses in states like Illinois has made several state officials support the sports betting bill. However, the state has to make several critical decisions on allocating the revenue earned. If this bill passes, it will be a relief for gambling fanatics in Missouri.
