Missouri voters will decide on a ballot measure to provide for a 14th casino in the state, located on the Osage River

In November, Missouri voters will be deciding on a constitutional amendment that would allow for an additional gambling boat on the Osage River. This would be the 14th casino to operate in the state.

The measure, known as Amendment 5, is one of six measures that Missouri voters will decide on Nov. 5, 2024.

The amendment would permit the Missouri Gaming Commission, the state agency responsible for regulating gambling, to issue an additional license for a gambling boat to operate on the Osage River, specifically between the Missouri River and the Bagnell Dam, near the Lake of the Ozarks. In Missouri, all casinos must operate on or by the Missouri or Mississippi River. In 2008, Missouri voters approved Proposition A by 56.17%-43.83%, which limited the number of casinos in Missouri to those already built or under construction.

Previously, the initiative was rejected by the secretary of state for falling short by 2,031 signatures in the second congressional district. In Missouri, for an initiated constitutional amendment to qualify for the ballot in 2024, the number of signatures submitted must equal 8% of the votes cast for governor in the previous gubernatorial election in six of the eight state congressional districts.

The initiative’s proponents, the Osage River Gambling and Convention, filed a lawsuit after an additional 2,230 valid signatures were found. On Aug. 30, 2024, Cole County Judge Daniel Green ruled that the amendment should appear on the ballot after enough valid signatures were found, and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) said that a mistake was made in the signature verification process.

Missouri voters will be deciding five other measures on the ballot on Nov. 5, 2024, including:

• Amendment 2: Would legalize and regulate sports betting in Missouri
• Amendment 3: Would amend the Missouri Constitution to provide for a right to reproductive freedom, including the right to an abortion, and would allow for the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability
• Amendment 6: Would define the administration of justice to include the levying of costs and fees to support the salaries and benefits for law enforcement personnel
• Amendment 7: Would establish that only citizens who are Missouri residents can vote and prohibit ranked-choice voting
• Proposition A: Would establish a $13.75 per hour minimum wage by 2025, which would be increased by $1.25 per hour each year until 2026, when the minimum wage is $15 per hour, and also require employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked