Competition heating up in quest for Lake of the Ozarks casino - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Competition heating up in quest for Lake of the Ozarks casino – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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This artist’s rendering shows the Osage Nation hotel and casino planned for the Lake of the Ozarks.
JEFFERSON CITY — A push to build a casino near the Lake of the Ozarks has run into opposition from a group linked to the Osage Nation tribe.
Last week, a political action committee was formed to oppose the proposed constitutional amendment to allow a 14th casino license to be issued for a project on the massive lake.
A day later, on March 14, the PAC received a $75,000 contribution from Strategic Capital Consulting, a lobbying firm representing the Oklahoma-based tribe that also wants to build a casino on the lake.
For now, the group that is pushing for the constitutional change says the signature-gathering effort has not been affected by the opposition voiced by their potential tribal competitor.
“We are pleased with the progress of our signature-gathering. Our internal metrics have us on track to collect more than enough signatures to turn in on May 5th and we anticipate being on the November 2024 ballot,” the Ozark River Gaming & Convention Committee said in a statement to the Post-Dispatch.
The behind-the-scenes jockeying is the latest development in the fight to bring a legal gambling operation to mid-Missouri.
The Osage Nation has been working for years to build a casino in Missouri. In 2021, the tribe announced it had submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Interior for approval of a casino near the town of Lake Ozark.
At the time, the tribe said it hoped a federal decision on whether the proposal complies with the U.S. Indian Gaming Regulatory Act would take no more than two years.
If the tribal application is approved, the Department of Interior would transfer the casino land into federal trust with tribal sovereignty to the land and casino gaming rights that are exempt from Missouri laws and regulations.
The tribe is preparing a site on the lake for a casino resort but has faced mixed reactions from local officials.
The tribe also has hired Strategic Capital Consulting to help them move forward on the project. The lobbying firm is headed by former House Speaker Steve Tilley, who is a close adviser to Gov. Mike Parson.
Under its plan, the tribe is attempting to reestablish and expand upon its cultural presence and ancestral ties to the region. In addition to a casino, plans include a convention hotel, an entertainment complex and a tribal office.
While the tribe has awaited answers on whether it will receive federal approval, a group of lake-area businessmen launched a petition drive to change the state constitution.
Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corp., which operates casinos across the nation, is providing significant financial backing to the signature collection effort.
The state constitution currently only allows casinos to be constructed either on the Mississippi or Missouri rivers. State law currently allows only 13 casinos to operate in the state.
To get on the ballot, circulators need to collect a minimum of 170,000 signatures. It would become law if more than 50% of voters say “yes.”
If approved, the new casino would operate on the portion of the Osage River below the Bagnell Dam.
This slideshow recounts the creation of Lake of the Ozarks and the subsequent tourism that followed years later.
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The Missouri State Penitentiary was the first prison built west of the Mississippi River.
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This artist’s rendering shows the Osage Nation hotel and casino planned for the Lake of the Ozarks.
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