LETTERS: FACTS ON RIVERBOATS

To the editor:

I feel compelled to respond to some inaccuracies contained in your Sept. 18 editorial regarding the regulation of riverboat gambling in Missouri. The editorial suggests that when Missourians approved riverboat gambling by a sizable majority in November 1992 that voters were promised cruising riverboats.

While this may have been what was generally reported, it was never true. The original law, adopted by the people, granted a specific exemption from cruising for the Admiral in St. Louis as well as several other areas along the downtown St. Louis riverfront. In addition to the exception from cruising for several possible gambling sites in St. Louis, the legislation also exempted all boats from cruising from the beginning of November through the end of March.

Furthermore, the Tourism Commission had the authority to set the minimum number of cruises from April until October and, therefore, the boats could be docked for substantial periods during these months. Moreover, the original referendum allowed the boat operator to operate continuously docked for "mechanical problems, adverse weather or other conditions adversely affecting safe navigation."

The reason that the majority of Missouri's gambling boats no longer cruise is because it is unsafe for vessels of this size, carrying thousands of passengers, to cruise, particularly on the Missouri River. The gaming commission has received uncontroverted testimony from dozens of experts, including the U.S. Coast Guard, who have attested to the perils of large passenger vessels cruising in high-traffic areas on the Missouri River. I would be happy to submit the nearly 1,000 pages of testimony received by the commission on this subject for your review.

The gaming commission has worked with the Coast Guard and the U.S. Corps of Engineers in developing a sound policy regarding the issue of cruising. We continue to evaluate each application for continuous docking on its own merits. A public hearing is held before a hearing officer, and a transcript is forwarded to the commission along with a recommendation from the hearing officer.

The fact that misinformation was disseminated regarding the content of the original referendum should not be the basis for criticizing the commission's well-reasoned policy regarding whether excursion gambling boats should or should no cruise. At no time were all boats required to cruise, and none of them was ever required to cruise year around.

In closing, the gaming commission's mission is to maintain public confidence by ensuring that no criminal elements are allowed to infiltrate licensed gaming operations and that the facilities are operated in such a way to provide a safe environment for the citizens who choose to visit them. The commission and its staff hold themselves to the highest ethical and professional standards and strive to conduct all business in a manner that maintains the public trust. In light of these comments, we hope that you will review the original referendum and re-evaluate the current regulator structure that is in place for this industry.

KEVIN P. MULLALLY

Deputy Director for Legal and Legislative Affairs

Missouri Gaming Commission

Jefferson City