Poker Writer
The Osage Tribe is looking to build another casino in Missouri to add to the Show Me State’s gambling offerings. Missouri currently has 13 retail casinos, with each one being on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, as per state constitutional law.
The Osage Tribe is looking to buck that trend by adding a casino in the middle of the state on the Osage River off Highway 54 in the picturesque Lake of the Ozarks area.
But in order to do so, voters must approve an amendment to the constitution. The state has specific gaming regulations that limit the number and location of casinos. Voters already rejected a prior attempt.
A local board is scheduled to vote tonight on whether to approve a partnership agreement with Osage Casinos.
Orange River Gaming and Conventions (ORGC), the group advocating for the new casino, failed in the attempt to change the constitution in 2024. They say they are ready to try again.
The investment group worked to get Amendment 5 on the 2024 general election ballot. Missourians rejected the proposal, 52.5% to 47.5%. Counties closest to the proposed casino provided the strongest pockets of voting against it.
Investors remain undaunted, noting that most proposed amendment changes needed multiple turns on the ballot before passing.
Osage Tribe Confident in Casino
The Osage Tribe currently operates a casino in Ponca City, Oklahoma. The Lake of the Ozarks proposal seeks to expand its gaming reach into a bordering state.
The tribe seems confident that the Lake of the Ozarks Osage Casino will come to fruition. A website has already been set up for the proposed casino. It boldly proclaims that “Osage Casino is Coming to the Lake of the Ozarks.”
Kimberley Pearson, CEO of Osage Casinos, has a statement posted about the project:
Osage Casinos is proud of our ongoing work to build a world-class entertainment district in an area deeply connected to the Osage Nation. Missouri is our ancestral homeland where the Osage once flourished and we know our economic development effort at the Lake of the Ozarks will be pivotal to supporting the Osage and the local lake area economy.
The proposed casino would pay 2.5% of gambling revenue and 1% of hotel revenue to the city.
Editor’s note: The local board approved the city’s partnership with the casino group, so the proposal will now try to garner state approval.
