Riverboat Gaming could be headed to Lake of the Ozarks

Posted By Dennis Newberry @ Feb 21st 2020 12:26pm In: Talk Of The Town

Riverboat Gambling could be Expanded to Lake of the Ozarks

The tailwaters of the Osage River below Bagnell Dam in Lake Ozark is without a doubt the #1 place for a Riverboat to reside. Shortly after Missourians passed legislation allowing casino gambling in the 1990’s, as a Real Estate professional at Lake of the Ozarks, I felt Central Missouri was intentionally carved out of this opportunity by only allowing for Riverboat gambling on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers in the state of Missouri.

Not one to give up on the possibility of a Casino located at one of Missouri’s greatest tourist destinations; Lake of the Ozarks, I began to consistently reach out to the Osage Nation, and at the time Chief Standing Bear the executive director of the Osage Nation Gaming Commission, to compel interest and invite his people back to their former home along the Osage River. Native American Indian tribes formally recognized by the the U.S. government would be the only other option for gaming in Missouri. My numerous offers inviting the Osage Nations Gaming Commission to the Lake of the Ozarks went without interest.

If Missouri voters want additional Riveboat gaming options, they could soon find a path to this possibility by supporting HJR-87 a bill recently introduced by Rep. Rocky Miller of the 124 District and a long time Lake Ozark resident. Shortly after elected in 2012 Rocky and I discussed our shared viewpoint that, Lake of the Ozarks was missing out on the opportunity for Riverboat Gaming. Rocky cautions HJR-87 does NOT expand licenses for Riverboat Casinos in the state of Missouri which are limited to 13 at this time. HJR-87 adds the Osage River to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers as an approved area for Riverboat gaming to occur should an existing license come available.

A bill expanding the current limits of gaming licenses would surely meet some opposition, including fighting for the expansion license(s) by existing gaming operators competing for a license. HJR-87 is a first step forward but certainly not the last. If expansion were to be considered in the future I would propose one way to avoid litigation from those seeking licenses would be to require those with interest in having a Riverboat Casino, submit applications for a license to the Missouri gaming commission who would then pick an applicant via a lottery process, subjecting each applicant to an “odds” chance of obtaining a license just as their patrons are subjected to when playing a casino game. This type of process could hopefully avoid years of litigation from applicants. I applaud Rep. Miller for taking this long awaited first step.

We have multiple sites on the Osage River that would allow for vast amounts of development opportunities. For information about these properties, contact me at the following: dnewberry@lakeozarkrealty.com or my Twitter @bagnelldam.