NEW BILLS WOULD LIMIT CASINO LICENSES

The Missouri Riverboat Gaming Association is still wading through some of the bills which have surfaced concerning gambling.

The latest would limit the total number of casinos in the state, said Randy Asherbranner, gaming association spokesman.

"We're still trying to get through the bill. At this time, we haven't made a determination whether to support or oppose the bill," Asherbranner said.

Senate Bill 546 -- would cap the number of riverboat gaming licenses at 15.

The state has issued 12 licenses for nine locations. Regulators are investigating three more proposals, at Boonville, LaGrange and Kimmswick.

If those licenses are granted -- and if the bill passes -- the number of licenses would hit the proposed cap.

Bill Kenney (R-Lee's Summit) is the bill's main sponsor.

The bill would also establish a crime of "gaming corruption" as a felony.

Loss limits

SB 546 is one of three bills concerning casinos in Missouri.

Another effort to get rid of the loss limit on casino gamblers was introduced in a bill last month.

And, although gaming association has not expressed actual support of the bill, the group vowed at Its annual meeting to fight for repeal of the limit, claiming it puts Missouri at a competitive disadvantage with other states.

The Missouri Gaming Commission estimates that lifting the loss limit could generate up to $150 million a year in additional state gambling taxes.

The loss limit bill comes up every year.

Missouri still has two-hour gambling session. At one time, when gambling was first introduced in 1992, riverboats pushed off for actual two-hour cruises. The law put $500 as the limit for each of the two-hour session.

As it stands now, riverboats never have to leave the dock but gamblers still have the two-hour gambling sessions, and may buy no more than $500 worth of table-game chips or slot -machine tokens during each two hour session.

A new Missouri Gaming Regulatory Board has been proposed to take over some of the duties now handled by the Missouri Gaming Commission.