Potential Ozarks Casino Industry Could Mirror Lake Tahoe Market

Written By Adam Hensley on July 8, 2024 - Last Updated on July 12, 2024
A picture of Lake Tahoe

The Lake of the Ozarks isn’t a gambling destination.

At least not yet.

If a referendum to allow a 14th Missouri casino appears on November’s ballot, and voters approve it, the Ozarks could someday mirror the Lake Tahoe area in Nevada.

That’s especially true if the Osage Nation is allowed to build its own casino in the Ozarks.

Casino referendum should be on November’s ballot

Missouri is home to 13 riverboat casinos. A new casino has not opened in the state since 2012.

Lawmakers have not legalized Missouri online casinos, but sweepstakes and social casinos are available in the Show Me State.

We should soon know if Missouri voters will be allowed to approve a casino in the Lake of the Ozarks. The Osage River Gaming & Convention Committee turned in more than the required number of signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office to get a referendum on November’s ballot.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft will announce whether the issue will be on the ballot by August 13.

Both Tahoe and Ozarks thrive from tourism

Neither Lake Tahoe nor the Ozarks are major population centers in their respective states.

The 2020 census showed the Lake Tahoe region had fewer than 56,000 permanent residents. That’s less than the Lake of the Ozarks area. The Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council said the area had 92,500 permanent residents in 2020.

In Nevada, Las Vegas (2.2 million residents), Henderson (310,390), Reno (250,998) and North Las Vegas (245,949) dwarf Lake Tahoe’s population. In Missouri, major cities like Kansas City (491,918), St. Louis (301,578) and Springfield (168,122) have much larger populations than the Ozarks.

But if you factor in tourists, the numbers change in Tahoe and the Ozarks.

According to Tahoe Fund, roughly 15 million people visit Lake Tahoe each year. The website also notes that its daily population can spike to 300,000 on some days.

Meanwhile, roughly 2 million people visit the Lake of the Ozarks each year, according to Russell Burdette of Your Lake Vacation and the Tri-County Lodging Association.

Basically, 99% of Lake Tahoe’s population is tourists each year. In the Ozarks, it’s closer to 96%. So, each location has a similar mix of tourists.

Both areas known for outdoor adventure, seclusion

Reno is the closest major city to Lake Tahoe, and it’s at least a 45-minute car ride.

But when you think of gambling in Nevada, it’s all about Las Vegas. And it’s a little more than a seven-hour drive from Tahoe to the Las Vegas Strip.

There are many things to do in Lake Tahoe, including gambling. But overall, the area has more of an outdoor vibe. It’s viewed more of a place where people go to hike and relax on a massive body of water.

That’s similar to the Lake of the Ozarks. Major cities like Kansas City and St. Louis are more than a two-and-a-half-hour drive away. Same goes for nearby casinos. Twelve of the state’s 13 casinos are at least three hours away from the area.

Photo by AP Photo / Scott Sonner
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Adam Hensley

Adam Hensley is a journalist from Des Moines, Iowa, with experience covering online sports betting and gambling across Catena Media. His byline has appeared in the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated and sites within the USA Today Network. Hensley graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 and spent his college career working for the Daily Iowan’s sports department, both as an editor and reporter.

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