Supporters of new Missouri casino file lawsuit to get on statewide ballot • Missouri Independent

A group seeking to build a new casino near Lake of the Ozarks filed suit Tuesday, arguing it has collected more than enough signatures to get on the November ballot.

The Osage River Gaming & Convention Committee is asking a judge to overturn a Missouri Secretary of State's decision that its referendum did not qualify for the statewide ballot because it was 2,031 signatures short in the 2nd Congressional District.

The proposal collected enough signatures in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th districts.

The group claims it has identified more than 2,500 valid signatures that were rejected and should have been counted in the 2nd District.

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“Verifying every signature on several ballot initiatives was a very lengthy process for election officials this summer and we know mistakes happen,” the group said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “However, (Osage River Gaming & Convention) always believed that their ballot initiative contained a sufficient number of valid signatures from legal voters to be eligible for inclusion on the Nov. 5 general election ballot and is now asking the court to do so.”

The proposal would amend the Missouri Constitution to allow a casino along the Osage River between the Bagnell Dam and the confluence with the Missouri River. The Constitution currently allows casinos only along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

It would also override a state law Limiting the state to 13 licensed casinoswas passed in 2008 on the initiative of casino operators.

The Lake of the Ozarks is one of Missouri's most popular tourism destinations. The casino proposal is being funded by Bally's, which currently operates a casino in Kansas City, and RIS Inc., a major regional developer. Both have contributed about half of the $4.1 million raised for the petition drive.

The proposal is being pushed forward in response to the development of a casino announced in 2021 by the Osage Nation, the Native American tribe for which the river is named. This $60 million project includes the construction of a casino, hotel and convention center.

Supporters of the initiative say their casino project will create 700 to 800 jobs.

According to the vote summary, the casino is expected to generate $2.1 million per year in revenue from gate receipts and fees. This money will be split between the local government that has jurisdiction over the site and the Missouri Gaming Commission. Tax on the casino's net profits is expected to be about $14.3 million per year.

The new revenue from the gambling tax would be earmarked for literacy programs for young children in public schools.