The Mark Twain Casino in La Grange, Missouri was closed from March to June 1 due to Covid-19. Now it’s operating at reduced capacity and the restaurant remains closed. Casino management said they’re expecting even more financial uncertainty—and local officials also are concerned about lower tax revenue. However, La Grange City Administrator John Roach said, “In the end, the tax dollars are still significant enough that they’re keeping us where we need to be.”
Roach said casino tax revenue makes up about 75 percent of the city’s annual revenue. In the past, the tax money has paid for road improvements, water line extensions and electrical work. Roach said due to lost casino revenue the city will have to make some cuts. For now, non-urgent projects have been put on hold. “A street project that we kind had planned, we’re going to put that off for now because it ends up that’s about what our losses were. So, we just said we’ll hold off and we’ll do it next year,” Roach said.
Casino owners Affinity Gaming implemented new health and safety measure for the reopening, including social distancing, nightly closure for deep cleaning and sanitation, temperature checks for employees and guests, mandatory masks for employees and hand sanitizer stations throughout the property.
The first hour every morning is reserved for “Nifty 50” patrons to provide easy access, shorter wait times, better slot selection and a fresh facility after the nightly deep cleaning. “Our primary goal is to provide excellent service and ensure the safety of our guests and employees,” said Mark Twain Casino Vice President and General Manager Luke Keller.
