Missouri state Rep. Jeff Knight recently pre-filed HJR 23, which would amend the state constitution to allow a commercial casino along a 25-mile stretch including a “portion of the Osage River from the Missouri River to the Bagnell Dam” that flows past the city of Osage Beach.
The amendment would require a simple majority of both legislative chambers and approval by at least 50 percent plus one vote of state voters. If Governor Mike Parson doesn’t call for an earlier special session, the vote could be held in November 2024. State Rep. Ron Hicks submitted an almost identical proposal in February, which failed to move out of committee.
The proposed state-regulated casino may not be the only one located at the Lake of the Ozarks. In October 2021, the Osage Nation applied to the U.S. Department of the Interior for permission to open a Class II tribal casino at the site of the former Quality Inn Hotel. The application does not require the tribe to negotiate a compact with Missouri. If the Interior Department grants approval, the Osage Nation immediately could start offering gambling at its facility, despite Missouri lawmakers’ opinions.
However, a Class III commercial casino in the same area could be a real competitive threat to the tribe. It could hire lobbyists to work against HJR 23, or, observers said, it’s possible the two casinos could co-exist, bringing new attractions and revenue to the area.
