Two new Missouri gambling-related laws, affecting the state lottery and riverboat casinos, took effect Sunday, September 5.
Missouri lottery winners now will be able to remain anonymous. Until now, the lottery posted the names of large prize winners on its website. The new law prohibits the State Lottery Commission, any lottery employee and any organization working with the lottery from publishing any identifying information about a lottery winner without his or her consent. The legislation moved through the Senate and House this spring with no dissenting votes.
The law is designed to protect prize winners from harassment, since over the years several winners have had strangers contact them in an attempt to get money. State Senator Angela Molsey said, “Individuals should have the choice to disclose their identity as they navigate this life-changing event and tackle the unexpected challenges they may encounter.” She sponsored the measure along with her husband, state Rep. Jay Mosley.
Future lottery winners may applaud the move but Missouri Lottery Director May Scheve said not publicizing them could affect sales. She said, “To talk about winners is a great way to advertise. It takes a tool out of our toolbox. Scheve noted Missouri now is the only state to criminalize the publication of a winner’s name. “It is one of the most stringent pieces of legislation passed in the country by making it a Class A misdemeanor.” She added, “Integrity is everything to the Missouri Lottery. We feel that, in the players’ eyes, we’ll lose that transparency.”
The Missouri Press Association agreed. In testimony, Doug Crews, former executive director of the organization said, “Keeping names of lottery winners open promotes transparency and a feeling of fairness in the operation of the Missouri Lottery. Publishing the winners’ names is good for the entire lottery system. Revealing lottery winners’ names builds trust and excitement, which drives ticket sales.”
In other gambling law, Missouri casinos may now become non-floating, with certain stipulations. They must be located within 1,000 feet of either the Missouri or Mississippi River. Also, according to Missouri Gaming Commission Chairman Mike Leara, “Now, they still have to maintain 2,000 gallons of Mississippi or Missouri river water in or about on the facility. So not necessarily under the gaming floor, which makes it much easier for these facilities to maintain their gaming floor.”
This could allow casinos to expand in size, however, under law the total number of licenses granted by the state remains at the current 13. Leara noted, “Lake of the Ozarks or Springfield, Missouri, something like that, I just don’t see that viable without a change in the constitution, or at a minimum, statutes expanding the number of licenses.”
