LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. – An effort to bring a new casino to the Lake of the Ozarks region gains momentum.
A committee submitted more than 320,000 signatures through Missouri’s initiative petition process, pushing for a Lake of the Ozarks casino proposal to appear on November ballots.
The Osage River Gaming & Convention committee says it turned in the signatures ahead of Sunday’s deadline, according to a news release. The reported 320,000 are nearly double the 171,000 required in Missouri’s initiative petition process.
The Missouri Secretary of State’s Office now has to verify the signatures. From there, voters would have the opportunity to decide on the fate of a casino through a ballot question in the November 2024 General Election.
According to the committee, the proposed casino would be part of a multi-faceted tourism resort that also includes a hotel, convention center, restaurants, and other attractions.
The committee states that construction of the casino and all other parts would create 500 construction jobs and up to 800 permanent jobs.
According to Missouri constitutional law, gambling is only allowed on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers for boats in artificial moats or approved sites within 1000 feet of either of those rivers. The petition calls for adding the Osage River to that list of waterways to make the proposal a reality.
The proposed casino resort would be on a portion of the Osage River near the Bagnell Dam on the south side of U.S. Route 54.
Also making a push through Missouri’s initiative petition process is a proposal that would allow sports wagering within the state, if approved by voters in November.