Legislature could pursue ending casino loss limit

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- After years of giving little attention to proposals to eliminate Missouri's casino loss limit, the legislature will likely get serious about the issue when it convenes next year, the chairman of a legislative panel that studies gambling issues said Tuesday.

The casino industry has long contended the state's $500 cap on how much individual gamblers can lose in a two-hour gaming session puts Missouri facilities at a competitive disadvantage against operations in nearby states. No other state that allows legalized gambling imposes a loss limit.

State Rep. Bob Johnson, chairman of the Joint Committee on Gaming and Wagering, said the issue is in part about bolstering tourism.

"If we truly want that tourism, we have to raise the limit or eliminate it," said Johnson, R-Kansas City, who favors the latter.

The gaming committee briefly discussed the loss-limit issue on Tuesday but opted to postpone further study until the next legislative session begins in January.

George Stadler, the general manager of Casino Aztar in Caruthersville, said dropping the loss limit would boost business at his facility, the smallest of Missouri's 11 casinos.

"It would allow us to compete on a level playing field," he said. "I think it would be a windfall for us and allow us to further develop our property."

Part of the problem with the limits, Stadler said, is that enforcing them is by necessity intrusive -- a turn-off to some customers. To gamble at a Missouri casino, patrons have to divulge personal information in order to obtain a card with a magnetic strip that tracks how much they spend.

However, Johnson predicted any legislature would likely demand higher casino taxes as a political tradeoff for giving the industry what it wants.

"Realistically, if loss limits are to be addressed then it will have to come with additional taxes," Johnson said.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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