Missouri lawmaker spells out his casino admission tax plans again

Article by : Charles Perrin Oct 24, 2023

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Missouri should be doing everything it can to boost casino admission taxes to support the state’s nursing homes for military veterans.

That is the unequivocal belief of State Rep. Dave Griffith (R- Jefferson City) who told the Missouri Veterans Commission earlier this week that he will intensify his efforts to pass such legislation in January.

Currently, the state casino admission tax stands at $2. Although patrons don’t directly pay entrance fees, this has remained unchanged since riverboats were legalized in Missouri in 1992 through a statewide ballot referendum.

However, Griffith believes it is high time that the admission tax should be raised by at least $1 to support the severely underfunded nursing homes.

Such plans could generate substantial revenues, but Griffith is no stranger to failure.

Previously, he tried to pass the bill during a 2021 legislative session, but he was roundly rebuffed in his attempts to advance his proposal.

Among his opponents, including the Missouri Gaming Association, which represents the state’s casino, are ready to filibuster such a move.

The trade group is adamant that such an initiative would have a detrimental impact on other capital investment projects, as well as serve up fewer incentives for casino players.

Should Griffith encounter such resistance over his proposal, it is suggested he could intensify his efforts to legalize sports betting in the state. Despite being a bone of contention, it is believed that taxes accrued from wagering on sports could fund veterans’ nursing homes.

A combination of funding shortages and staffing woes have plagued nursing homes for veterans, and vacancies among direct care staff are down by as much as 15%.

Griffith, however, is expected to be backed in lobbying for change by Gary Grigsby, who serves as the vice chairman of the Missouri Association of Veterans Organizations.

He said: “We’re all going to be supporting that. We need to get these bills moving forward.”

The challenges facing veterans nursing homes in recent years have been well documented, but Griffith will need to dig in deep and battle hard if he’s going to realize his ambition.