Missouri has 13 casinos on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. If passed, House Joint Resolution 23 would put a measure on the ballot that would allow the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) to grant a licence for a casino on the Osage River as well, according to local media.
Lake Ozark, a city of 2,000 people along the Osage River, is considered the most likely site for a casino. Mayor Dennis Newberry reportedly said the city needs about $25m in capital improvement projects that it cannot afford.
The bill's sponsor, Representative Jeff Knight, cited projections that a casino in the Lake of the Ozarks area could net about $100m in revenue annually. The MGC taxes 25% of casinos' revenue, which means the Show-Me State would also take in about $25m a year.
Lake Ozark Alderman Krista Watts said that the only four representatives in the room at a state municipal league convention, who said they were not struggling to generate revenue, had casinos in their communities. Watts also said a casino in the area would benefit the seasonal nature of the Lake Ozark economy by creating more year-round jobs.
Kimberly Pearson, CEO of the Osage Nation Gaming Enterprise Board, said the Tribe has purchased land in Lake Ozark and has already started the process of clearing it for development.
HJR 23 would not directly affect either the Osage Nation’s current development or desires to build a casino because Native American Tribes are not subject to state law.
Don Abbett, a Miller County commissioner, said he did not support having an Osage casino in Lake Ozark, and only supports HJR 23 because he would rather have a state-approved casino in Lake Ozark than the alternative.
Abbett believes a Tribal casino would have an unfair advantage over a possible state casino. However, Pearson said the Osage would make up what they are not paying in taxes with charitable donations to the community.
