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Osage Nation Working With Ozark Officials in Mutually Beneficial Casino Plan

On property it controls at the northeastern corner of the intersection of Bagnell Dam Boulevard and Osage Beach Parkway, the Osage Nation is still requesting federal authority to build a $100 million Indian casino.

The Osage Nation argues that the roughly 29 acres of land it purchased in 2021 should be placed in the federal trust because it has historical ties to Lake Ozark. In 2022, a run-down Quality Inn was demolished on the property in question.

Despite the federal government shutdown, the federally recognized tribe from Oklahoma is still working on their land-into-trust application with the US Department of the Interior's (DOI) Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Osage Casino Lake of the Ozarks resort was presented by the Osage Nation in August.

The federal government's choice to place recently acquired tribal lands into trust is heavily influenced by the EA. Tribes must prove that their land plans won't have an adverse effect on the local ecology and community in order to be eligible.

Local Cooperation

Riverboat casinos on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers can be found in Missouri. In order to allow Bally's to build a casino resort next to the Lake of the Ozarks sign at the intersection of Highway 54 and Route 242, Missourians rejected a ballot question last year that would have included the Osage River and a 14th riverboat license.

According to representatives of the city of Lake Ozark, their readiness to collaborate with the Osage Nation is merely an attempt to guarantee that the area gains from the development, should the federal government approve it, and does not imply support for casino gambling. Ozark Aldermen recently disclosed that the city and tribe had reached a provisional agreement.

A $100K yearly donation to the Lake Ozark Police Department, 1% of hotel room revenue, and 2.5% of the Osage casino's total gaming earnings are all requested by the city administration. The estimated yearly total benefits come to around $2 million.

"They’re going to be using our water and our sewer, using our roads, and using our police department,” said Lake Ozark Mayor David Ridgely. “They were great to work with.”

The city is collaborating with the tribe in order to ensure that "the City of Lake Ozark comes out ahead," Ridgely continued.

Advantages for the Region

Missouri does not participate in Class III gaming compacts, thus if the Osage Ozarks casino were to open, it would not have standard slot machines, live-dealer table games, or sports betting. Instead, as allowed by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), the tribal casino intends to provide roughly 750 computerized bingo devices that resemble slots.

Under federal law, tribal gambling does not have to provide local or state governments a portion of its profits. But according to Osage officials, they want the development to help the whole Lake Ozark community.

"The entertainment center will dramatically expand the Lake-area’s tourism footprint, generating jobs and economic opportunity, and serving as a new revenue engine for the local and state tax base,” the tribe said. The tribe has also pledged “philanthropic contributions” to schools, first responders, local charities, and community improvement projects.

The Osage Ozarks development plan includes a 150-room hotel, 6K square feet of convention space, and many dining options in addition to the 40K-square-foot casino.