Rep. Shannon Cooper is among those headed to St. Louis tonight for the sold-out Jimmy Buffet concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.

Cooper, R-Clinton, said he got a complimentary room for the night at the nearby Ameristar Casino hotel.

“Of course they got me a room,” he said. He offered that he had also secured a free room for Bill Tucker, director of House Research.

“There could very well be more going,” he said.

Cooper’s gift from Ameristar didn’t surprise Rep. Ray Salva, D-Sugar Creek. Cooper sponsors a bill that would block a new casino in Salva’s suburban Kansas City district.

Ameristar Casinos, which already operates a casino in Kansas City, is pushing for Cooper’s bill. The bill would put a two-year moratorium on new casino licenses. It still needs a final House vote to move to the Senate.

Salva said he has been lobbying colleagues to oppose the bill but many have told him that they need campaign contributions from casinos or don’t want to alienate Cooper, who heads the powerful Rules Committee.

Cooper didn’t expect a final vote to come today. “I’ve got the votes,” he said. “We just haven’t gotten to it yet.”

UPDATE: Tucker said he is paying for his room.

“I would never take a room from” the casino, he said. Tucker said he’s also paying for his concert ticket.

Cooper said his ticket was free but he can’t remember who gave it to him. He hopes to get out of the Capitol soon to make it to the concert. The House was still meeting as the clock ticked toward 5 p.m., so he’ll be cutting it close.