On the Ballot: Missouri Amendment 5 asks voters to decide on casino gambling at the Lake of the Ozarks

Editor's Note: As we head toward the November election, we will take a look weekly at the issues voters will see on the ballot. We'll begin with a look at the state amendments on the November 5th ballot. 

Missouri Amendment 5: Voters can OK or reject a new casino at the Lake of the Ozarks on Nov. 5

by Meg Cunningham, Beacon: Missouri
September 16, 2024

Missourians, long restricted to sites along the Missouri or Mississippi rivers for casino gambling, will decide whether to add another river to that list during the Nov. 5 election. 

Amendment 5 will ask Missouri voters if they want to allow an additional casino on the Osage River, near the Bagnell Dam at the Lake of the Ozarks, on the south side of U.S. 54. 

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The proposed casino site is part of development project Eagles' Landing. It sits south of U.S. 54.

The plan is spearheaded by Bally’s, which operates a casino in Kansas City, and RIS Inc., a developer based in Eldon. The amendment is the result of a 10-year effort to build a casino and entertainment center at the lake. The site is part of the Eagles’ Landing development, which sits on both sides of U.S. 54. 

The proposal would amend the Missouri Constitution to allow an additional casino on the Osage River. The plan also includes a hotel, a convention center, restaurants and other attractions. It would override a state law that only allows 13 casino licenses by adding a 14th dedicated to the Osage River proposal. 

The proposal needs a simple majority statewide to pass. The revenue from the state’s gaming tax, estimated to be $14.4 million annually, will be allocated toward early childhood literacy efforts. 

Official Ballot Title:

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:

• allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to issue one additional gambling boat license to operate on the portion of the Osage River from the Missouri River to the Bagnell Dam;
• require the prescribed location shall include artificial spaces that contain water and are within 500 feet of the 100-year base flood elevation as established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and
• require all state revenues derived from the issuance of the gambling boat license shall be appropriated to early-childhood literacy programs in public institutions of elementary education?

State governmental entities estimate one-time costs of $763,000, ongoing costs of $2.2 million annually, initial fee revenue of $271,000, ongoing admission and other fee revenue of $2.1 million annually, and annual gaming tax revenue of $14.3 million. Local governments estimate unknown revenue.

The details of Amendment 5’s casino plan

Members of the Osage River Gaming and Convention Committee are the main backers of the proposal. The group has been eyeing a casino at the lake for years, toggling between pursuing the effort through the legislature or via a citizen-led initiative petition. 

Since lawmakers have the power to place questions on the ballot for voter approval, that was one path the committee started pursuing in 2020, after it announced its plan for the Lake of the Ozarks development. 

Former state Rep. Rocky Miller, a Republican from Osage Beach, initially spearheaded the legislative path to changing the constitution. After the bill failed in 2022 and 2023, the committee announced it would pursue the change through the initiative petition process. 

Backers of the proposal say the destination will create 500 construction jobs and create 700 to 800 permanent jobs.

To read the full text of the amendment, click here.

The city of Lake Ozark gave its backing to the plan in December. Local governments are estimated to receive around $2.1 million annually in admission and other fee revenue. 

The state estimates it will take in $14.3 million in gaming tax revenue annually, which will be dedicated to supporting early childhood literacy efforts. 

The amendment comes amid an effort from Osage Nation to build a casino at the Lake of the Ozarks. Osage Nation acquired land at the Lake of the Ozarks in 2021 and officially launched a plan to build a casino, which requires coordination with the federal government and clearance from the governor. 

The years-long effort to get Amendment 5 on the ballot

After a 2009 fire destroyed a gambling riverboat, the backers of Amendment 5 saw an opportunity to launch a casino at the Lake of the Ozarks, the Springfield News-Leader reported. 

The group of investors huddled with the intention of pursuing an additional license and getting voter approval to build on a new river. 

By 2018, the investor group was ready to launch a citizen-led initiative petition effort to get voter approval for gambling on an additional river. But Miller suggested the legislative route because it would cost less. 

After legislation struggled to get off the ground for a number of years, in part due to heavy opposition from Osage Nation, investors turned back to the initiative petition route, which was successful in 2024. 

This article first appeared on Beacon: Missouri and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.