ORGC Prepares Second Attempt at Casino Approval in Missouri

A bunch of private investors want to take another shot at setting up a casino on the Osage River, which might lead to a face-off between two casinos in Lake Ozark.

Osage River Gaming Revives Casino Bid After Last Year’s Defeat

The group calling itself Osage River Gaming and Conventions (ORGC), says it will start its campaign again to change Missouri’s constitution, a year after voters said no to a similar plan. They have got their eye on a spot along Highway 54 near the Osage River.

Andy Prewitt, an investor, said the team has won back support from Miller County officials. They plan to go before the Lake Ozark City Council this week. If the local government gives the green light, the group aims to start gathering petition signatures by the end of November, reported local media outlet Lake Expo.

ORGC poured money into a statewide push for Amendment 5 in 2024. This amendment was intended to allow a casino on the Osage River below Bagnell Dam. Even with all their work, voters said no to the plan by a slim margin — 52.5% against and 47.5% for.

Prewitt indicated the new proposal will not just rehash last year’s version. He mentioned the team is crafting updated ballot language and intends to submit it to the Missouri Secretary of State to get approval in the next few weeks.

ORGC Navigates Legal Challenges in Push for Osage River Casino

Tim Hand, another investor in the group, stressed that staying on the course is part of the journey. He pointed out that many successful ballot measures in Missouri needed several tries before gaining public backing.

If the ORGC proposal lands on the 2026 ballot, it will face an extra hurdle: a legislative measure called Initiative Petition Reform, which aims to make it harder to change the state constitution. If this reform passes, future efforts to allow casinos outside the Missouri and Mississippi rivers would become tougher.

Missouri’s current laws permit casino boats on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, with state law setting a fixed number of gaming licenses. The 2024 plan tried to broaden this rule, aiming to give a new license for the Osage River location. The casino’s tax money would have gone to fund early childhood education programs.

While the plan got backing in Kansas City, St. Louis, and some other city areas, country voters, mostly in southern Missouri, strongly said no to it. Even in the Lake of the Ozarks area, where they wanted to build the casino, local counties clearly voted against it. Despite this, ORGC believes that shifting economic conditions and talks within the community could make voters more open to the idea this time around. If the plan moves forward, Lake Ozark might soon become the focus of one of Missouri‘s most-watched casino debates.