Osage Nation's casino proposal

LAKE OZARK — Missouri voters said no to a new casino at Lake Ozark last November, but that area looks to be getting one anyway with a different project.

Voters rejecting Amendment 5 — which would have constructed a Bally's Casino on the Osage River -- but a competing plan by the Osage Nation doesn't need voter approval since that would be built on land now owned by the tribe.

An environmental report has just been released, which is a major step toward getting the green light for construction if it's approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Governor Mike Kehoe.

That new facility will include a 15-story hotel, restaurants, and a gaming floor with 750 casino machines.

The project could lead to millions of dollars rolling into the local economy.

"I do think it will draw more people to the lake, which I think is good," said Merlyn Vandervort, owner of the Encore Lakeside Grill and Bar near where the potentional casino is expected to be built. "I've met the people of the tribe and I think they're good people."

The facility would be built on tribal-owned land in which they would not have to pay a sales tax, something Vandervort says concerns him.

"They would not have to pay sales tax, which would give them a competitive advantage," he says. "I'm a little concerned about human resources at the lake. … You bring a casino in here, they're going to take some of the workforce we've got, and housing."

However, the close proximity can be a benefit, he said.

Bill Borders, who owns Lil Rizzo's, says he doesn't want the casino to open because he thinks it will cannibalize restaurant and bar sales.