GAMBLING OPTIONS GIVE TOO MUCH LEEWAY ON RULES

Excursion riverboat gambling has taken quite a turn in Missouri since its approval by voters in November 1992.

Cruising riverboat casinos were sold as a tourist attraction that would raise millions of dollars for education. Gambling casinos have made good on the second part of that promise. It has infused a tremendous amount of money into the state.

But somewhere along the way the illusion of stately riverboats traveling the Mississippi River for gamblers and non-gamblers alike has been shattered. Nearly all of Missouri's riverboat operations no longer cruise the river. Of the seven companies now approved, all have applied or been granted dockside operations, which means their floating casinos don't need to ply the murky waters of the Mississippi or Missouri rivers.

The only one required to cruise right now is the Aztar riverboat casino in Caruthersville, which has requested a hearing to operate both a dockside barge operation and to permanently dock its riverboat. Aztar currently cruises only during the daytime hours.

The state gaming commission has made a mockery of the cruising riverboat notion approved by Missouri voters.

Now a legislative committee is considering a proposal to allow gambling on Amtrak passenger train service. You guessed it. It would be a great tourist attraction that would help infuse millions of dollars into education, plus pay some of the subsidy to keep Amtrak in the state.

It is time Missourians quit fooling themselves about these games of chance. First off, it is gambling, not gaming. If the Missouri "Gaming" Commission is bent on continuing this trend of approving land-based operations, then let's quit calling it riverboat gambling. If dockside and land-based gambling establishments become the rule rather than the exception in Missouri, why not extend slot machines to bars, convenience stores and restaurants?

Safety is the reason given for dockside approvals. But Illinois has managed to stick to its guns in mandating riverboats that cruise the river. Losses are also limited to $500 per cruise in Missouri, although efforts have been made to lift that limit as well.

Missouri's first two riverboats didn't start operations until May 1994. But the infusion of dollars hasn't meant lowered taxes for Missourians. The Legislature's attitude seems to be the more it has, the more it spends.

At some point the state must come clean about gambling. Missourians should either legalize all types of gambling everywhere, or quit making exceptions at every turn.