Staying afloat

The Missouri Gaming Commission is the regulatory agency that oversees the state's casinos. It was never intended that the agency would run a casino. But the commission's temporary takeover of Casino Aztar in Caruthersville, Mo., will preserve jobs and maintain the revenue stream the casino produces, benefitting government from city hall to the statehouse.

Aztar Corp. of Phoenix is trying to sell Casino Aztar. A deal fell through recently because the gaming commission refused to license the prospective new owner.

"We're the reason they couldn't sell it, and so it behooves us to find a solution so that the community doesn't pay the price," said Gene McNary, executive director of the gaming commission.

The plan calls for the casino's current general manager to run the operation with oversight from a gaming commission supervisor. The commission set a nine-month deadline for its takeover. Presumably, if no buyer is found by then, the commission would have the option of shutting down the casino.

The hundreds of workers at the casino and the governments that benefit from the casino's profits think this is a fair plan. While running casinos should not be entered into lightly, the gaming commission appears to have made a prudent decision.