Amendment 5, which sought to clear a route for a casino along the Osage River close to the Bagnell Dam in Lake of the Ozarks, was barely defeated by Missouri voters in a close contest. Bally’s Corp. and the Osage River Gaming and Convention Committee (OGCC) will not proceed with their plans for this site as a result of the amendment’s failure, which was decided by a vote margin of 52% to 48% with 20 precincts still to report.
In contrast to the state’s present legislation, which exclusively permits casinos along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, the proposed amendment would have permitted the construction of casinos close to artificial bodies of water. This amendment would have declared the Lake of the Ozarks, a man-made lake constructed by the U.S. Army in the 1920s, a suitable location.
Years of Planning Derailed
The OGCC and Bally’s Corp had worked for years to bring this initiative to the ballot. Bally’s, which operates an existing casino in Kansas City, submitted updated designs in September, hoping to secure approval for a new casino site. Amendment 5’s approval would have allowed other companies to bid for the license, though Bally’s and OGCC were expected to be leading contenders.
The path to this year’s vote was long and challenging. The OGCC had sought to develop a casino at Lake of the Ozarks since 2009, after a fire destroyed the President riverboat casino, freeing up a new license opportunity. In 2018, the committee considered launching an initiative petition but decided to push the proposal through legislation instead, with Representative Rocky Miller advocating for the project.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed progress in 2020, and the proposal failed in both the 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions. This year, the OGCC returned to the petition strategy and managed to secure a ballot placement by late August, despite legal challenges. Now, with the latest vote rejecting the measure, it remains uncertain if the OGCC and Bally’s will continue pursuing their goal.
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