SEARCH NEWS:

 

Could 'Boats in Moats' Be Sunk in Missouri?

ST. LOUIS -- The Missouri Gaming Commission voted on June 18 to drop games of chance on 10 of the 16 Missouri riverboats, a step that could lead to the removal of slot machines on "boat-in-moat" casinos.

The boats affected are those that sit in man-made basins near the river, but not in it. The casinos will have 30 days to appeal, in which case a hearing in which a hearing officer will make recommendations to the commission. If the decision is upheld, casinos could appeal to the courts. It could come down to the voters settling the battle in November.

Meanwhile, gambling employees picketed outside the hearing, concerned that losing their jobs would be inevitable if games of chance are eliminated. Games of skill, such as blackjack, craps and poker, would not be affected, but slot machines account for about 70 percent of the boats' revenues.

The Missouri Supreme Court previously ruled that boats in moats weren't legal venues for games of chance. The commission planned to take disciplinary action, but several casinos challenged its authority in court. Cole County Circuit Court Judge Byron Kinder ruled that the casinos had been denied due process by state regulators. Last month, however, the Supreme Court ruled in May that the Gaming Commission does have the authority to punish boat-in-moat casinos.

Members of the casino industry are trying to get the legalization of boats in moats on the ballot and are close to gathering the 109,000 signatures required. Their deadline is July 3.

< Gaming News