Ameristar, Pinnacle spend $500K on loss-limits push
Two of the region’s biggest casino companies - Ameristar Casinos and Pinnacle Entertainment - poured another $500,000 into their bid to overturn Missouri’s casino loss-limits law in the second quarter, according to a filing this week with the Missouri Ethics Commission. (read the report here)
Each company donated $250,000 during the period to the Yes For Schools First Coalition , the group that’s pushing a measure on the November ballot that would end Missouri’s one-of-a-kind $500 loss limit, cap casino licenses and provide up to another $130 million in school funding. The only other donor in the quarter was the Missouri Gaming Association, which provided nearly $13,000 worth of in-kind donations.
All told, Ameristar has donated $1.21 million to the effort, and Pinnacle $1.19 million. Aside from the Gaming Association, they’ve been the only donors since Yes for Schools First was formed in December. Other casino groups, like Harrah’s Entertainment, have said they support the measure, but not donated money to it.
Both companies have a lot riding on the measure. They each have invested heavily in large casino-hotel properties in Missouri in recent years and say the card requirement and $500-per-two-hours cap on losses keeps high rollers out of Missouri casinos and prevents St. Louis from becoming a gaming tourist destination. Ameristar is also concerned about the launch of gaming in Kansas, near its property in Kansas City, Mo.
Also, last week, Yes for Schools First named a new spokesman: Scott Charton, formerly director of communications for the University of Missouri system.
“Yes for Schools First”. How predictable that they would name their lobbying group something that appeals to emotion. Newsflash! Every new dollar generated by Gaming will result in one less dollar the State has to use from their existing budget…..they’ll just spend the money on something else.
Sure, get rid of those nasty profit eroding loss limits. Let the populace pay the social costs for bankrupt families. We all have plenty of cash for that right now. Let’s keep on allowing casinos to take advantage of the thousands of ill gambling addicts with ridiculous house odds. And let’s keep allowing wealthy casino operators take those cool tax benefits all the way to the bank. Good for society…good for the people…no loss limits NOW. Hand it all over and we will pay for you and your spawns’ daily care for life. God knows you’ll be breeding the smart ones who can finally beat house odds and end the terminal family tragedy of no cash on hand. And you act like all the evil ones are in the sands.
Get rid of loss limits only when those legalized criminals pay for the social services all their flat-busted gamblers have us pay for now. They can use all that tax free cash. You didn’t think the tax men stood over their shoulders while they count all they rake in do ya? The next time anybody wants to complain about high taxes, think…do I go to casinos. Nuff said…it’s your own fault your tax burdens are high. You play right into that sort of tax burden shifting. Idiotos!