JEFFERSON CITY — A long-running effort to launch a gambling casino near the Lake of the Ozarks in mid-Missouri moved another step forward Tuesday.
The Missouri Secretary of State’s office signed off on language for a proposed ballot initiative asking voters if they want to amend the state Constitution to allow for a 14th gambling boat license.
The next step is for supporters to pick which one of four proposed petitions to circulate and collect a minimum of 170,000 signatures to get the measure on the 2024 ballot. It would become law if more than 50% of voters say “yes.â€
“I think we will have a decision on which of the petitions we’ll run within two weeks,†said Tim Hand of Osage River Gaming, which is backing the petition.
The new casino would operate on the portion of the Osage River below the Bagnell Dam.
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The operation would not necessarily be a floating structure because of the river’s fluctuation based on water levels in the massive lake.
If approved, it would require all state tax revenue collected from wagers to go toward education-related spending, ranging from early childhood literacy programs to teacher salaries. The annual revenue is estimated at about $14 million.
Hand said the campaign to get the casino approved will cost up to $10 million, but the price tag could be less if significant opposition doesn’t surface.
“Our proposed questions poll very well,†Hand said.
The push to get a question on the ballot came after the Legislature earlier this year was again unable to agree on a resolution to put the question on the ballot themselves.
Under that proposal, local officials said they hoped a casino would boost tourism and provide money for capital improvement projects.
They also said a casino would benefit the seasonal Lake Ozark economy by creating more year-round jobs.
It marked the third time the Legislature was unable to agree on a measure to advance the project.
In 2020, the proposal died like many other bills because of the disruption of COVID-19 on the operation of the House and Senate.
Another attempt in 2022 fell short after it was introduced late in the session.
In addition to a state-regulated casino, the Osage Nation tribe is vying to build a casino in Lake Ozark. While the tribe is preparing a site for their casino, they have not received approval for the project from state and federal officials.
Former state Rep. Rocky Miller, R-Lake Ozark, said he opposes the ballot question because it enshrines a 14th casino in the state constitution.
He’d rather see the location fight for a license among the other casinos in the state.
“In general I’m not happy about that provision. I think it’s a poor way to make a law,†said Miller, who is now a registered lobbyist.