Missouri Lawmaker to Propose Dollar Increase to Casino Admission Fee
Forthcoming lawmaking inwards Show Me State will suggest to increment the state’s gambling casino admission fee past at to the lowest degree a dollar, with the added revenue sledding to living veterans’ breast feeding homes.
On Monday, State Rep. Dave D. W. Griffith (R-Jefferson City) told the MO Veterans Commission that he testament once more innovate legislating inward the Thomas Jefferson City upper-case letter that seeks to increase the commonwealth admission task that the riverboat casinos pay. D. W. Griffith believes it’s clip to increase the $2 admission tax, which has remained unchanged since Missourians legalized riverboat gaming through a statewide ballot referendum in 1992.
Griffith, who filed a similar billhook during the 2021 legislative session that failed to muster up support, says the say needs to break fund its seven veterans breast feeding homes. A $1 increase to the gambling casino admission revenue enhancement could raise material young revenue.
The admission fee currently supports the Veterans Commission Capital Improvement Trust Fund, which, during the state’s 2023 fiscal year, received to a greater extent than $11.24 million. The ledger entry revenue enhancement also supports the Missouri National Guard, scholarship assistance, and the Compulsive Gamblers Fund.
The state’s 21% task on revenue gaming revenue primarily supports K-12 public education.
Entry Revenue
Casinos don’t go through the accounting entry fee to their patrons but instead compensate the admission taxation direct to the state. The state’s 13 riverboats counted 14.7 1000000 frequenter entries inward FY2023. Entry numbers make steadily declined over the yesteryear decade, with the boats counting to a greater extent than 22.2 billion admissions inward 2014.
The Missouri Gaming Association, representing the state’s casinos, opposes Griffith’s proposal. The trade in aggroup says the increased fare testament outcome inward reduced majuscule improvement projects and fewer incentives for players. Staffing levels could also follow impacted, the gambling casino interests say.
Griffith says if lawmakers aren’t willing to budge on increasing the $2 fare, another option is to legalize sports betting and use those taxes for veterans’ nursing homes. type A bipartizan note allowing the state’s riverboats to incorporate sportsbooks and partner with online sportsbook platforms stalled before this twelvemonth after gaining living inward the House.
House Bill 556 passed the take down chamber by a 118-35 vote. The measure was filibustered past body politic Sen. Denny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg).
Hoskins supports legalizing sports betting but says any farther elaboration of gaming inward the body politic must also include a regulatory framework for controversial “no-chance” gaming machines plebeian inward convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants, and bars.
In June, Hoskins announced his candidacy for Missouri River secretaire of state. However, that election isn’t until Nov 5, 2024, significance he’ll likely ease live inwards the Senate when the General Assembly convenes next March.
Veterans Nursing Home Funding
Missouri operates sevener breast feeding homes reserved for veterans. The Veterans Commission, a Show Me State Department of Public Safety unit, says it’s struggled inwards recent years to adequately faculty the facilities, which has led to rock-bottom bottom counts.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that efforts by Gov. Mike Parson (R) to increment salaries for res publica employees hold resulted in a hiring upsurge at the breast feeding homes. Since June, more nurses and medical staffers get allowed the breast feeding homes to growth their bed calculate past well-nigh 14%.
“The salary increases experience been ace of the largest benefits to our recruiting,” Missouri River Veterans Commission HR Director St. Paul Imhoff told the media outlet. “We’ve seen some upright outcomes.”
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