The more we know about Missouri’s Proposition A, the more we feel like someone’s trying to deal us a bad hand.
Written and bankrolled by the casino industry, Proposition A has three components.
* It would remove Missouri’s $500 loss-limit. Missouri is the only state in that nation that puts a cap on the amount of money a gambler can lose in a two-hour “excursion.” Gamblers who reach the limit must wait until the next excursion before they can buy another $500 worth of chips.
* It increases the gaming tax that casinos pay by one percent. That means instead of paying 20 percent, Missouri casinos would pay 21 percent. Proponents of the measure say the initiative would bring in more than a $100 million a year in additional revenue for schools. Additional revenues are estimated based on the repeal of the loss limits and the supposition that the high-rollers wouldn’t bypass Missouri.
* Finally, the initiative caps the number of casinos in the state at 13, although voters could change that cap if they wanted.
We aren’t necessarily against removing the loss limits, but not through this vehicle that obviously is a contrivance to generate more money for the casinos while at the same time shutting down future competition.
As for the rewards for schools, we looked to Webb City R-7 Superintendent Ron Lankford, who says Proposition A is “about gambling, not about education,” he said.
In fact, the longtime superintendent told us that he resents groups using education as a carrot to entice people to vote for a measure.
“There is a hard sell to pass this initiative, and education tends to be an area that people are interested in, so they will vote yes on it because they think it will help the schools,” he said.
In the end, Lankford believes propositions like this jade the voters and eventually end up hurting local school districts.
“The initiative would grant casinos as monopoly in Missouri on the backs of education.”
Loss limits can be addressed by the Legislation, and free-market enterprise will bring in more revenues to the state.
We recommend voters reject this attempt by the casino industry to control the game.
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