Indian Casino At Lake Of The Ozarks? New Details Revealed In Osage Nation's Plans

LAKE OZARK, Mo. — Plans for an Osage Nation casino have taken another step forward, with a newly released Environmental Assessment Study that reveals more details about the Osage's plans.

The 83-page federal assessment report can be viewed at the end of this article. Public comments are currently being accepted in response to the report.

The report includes three possible options, with one being "no action" at the 29-acre site currently owned by Osage Casinos at the corner of Osage Beach Parkway and Bagnell Dam Blvd., in Lake Ozark. The other two options include a full hotel and gaming facility, and a hotel without a gaming facility.

The report details the Osage Nation's preferred plan:

- A casino-resort facility including:

40,000 sq ft gaming floor with up to 750 Class II gaming devices
150-room hotel tower
Food and beverage areas
Meeting rooms
Fitness center and pool
435 parking spaces

- Total building size of approximately 237,160 sq ft

- Estimated to create 455 permanent jobs locally

- Construction estimated to take 12-18 months starting in 2025

- Estimated to generate $100.6 million in annual economic output locally

READER POLL: Do you approve of an Osage Nation casino & hotel at Lake of the Ozarks?

Background

In late-2021, the Osage Nation announced it had purchased land in Lake Ozark with the intent to build a casino there. That announcement came a year after a group of investors had also announced their desire to build a separate casino at the Lake of the Ozarks.

The investor group (Osage River Gaming & Conventions) needed a state constitution change to build a casino anywhere other than alongside the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Their attempt to change the constitution fell flat in the November 2024 elections.

Meanwhile, the Osage Nation worked its way through the gears of the federal government, particularly the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs; the Osage Nation would not be subject to the Missouri constitution's restrictions on gaming like the other group (Osage River Gaming & Conventions).

Osage Indian Casino Site — www.OsageLakeOzarkEA.com

The Plans... 'Option A'

The plan put forward by the Osage Nation — known as Option A in the new EA report — includes a 40,000 sq ft Class II gaming facility, a 150-room hotel tower, parking, and other amenities. The total under-roof size is planned to be 237,160 sq ft. The site previously held a 96-room Quality Inn, which has since been demolished.

The report says a casino and hotel would be generally consistent with other development in the area, and indicated that there were no significant impacts to the environment.

Public comments can be submitted by mail to the BIA’s Eastern Oklahoma Regional Office in Muskogee, Oklahoma, or emailed to admin@osagelakeozarkea.com.

The full EA is available for review at www.OsageLakeOzarkEA.com.

If Osage Casinos gains all the necessary approvals, construction could begin this year.

But before the development can move forward, the U.S. Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), must approve two key actions:

1) placing the land into federal trust, and

2) granting a “Two-Part Determination” under federal gaming law. That determination, required by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), would confirm that the casino is in the best interest of the Osage Nation and not harmful to the surrounding community. Governor Mike Kehoe would also need to approve that determination.

As part of the approval process, the BIA released a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) on July 31. The EA reviews how the proposed development might impact the local environment, from water resources and traffic flow to wildlife and nearby communities. The review was conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The public has until September 2 to submit comments on the draft. After reviewing public input, the BIA will determine whether the project can move forward as planned or if a more extensive environmental review is needed.

If approved, the Osage Nation would operate Class II gaming—like bingo and non-banked card games—under a tribal ordinance, with oversight from the National Indian Gaming Commission. The Nation has also been working with local officials to coordinate infrastructure and public safety needs, such as road improvements and emergency services.

AmericanGaming.org explains the three classes of gambling this way:

Class I gaming includes social games and traditional/ceremonial games. An Indian tribe can offer Class I games without restriction.
Class II gaming includes bingo and non-banked card games. Tribes do not need to enter into any agreements at the state level to conduct Class II gaming under IGRA. Instead, tribal governments are responsible for regulating Class II gaming
with [National Indian Gaming Commission] oversight.
Class III gambling includes all other forms of gambling, including casino-style gambling. An Indian tribe can operate Class III games only if the tribe and the state have agreed to a tribal-state gaming compact. After the state and tribe
have reached an agreement, the federal government must approve the compact before it is valid.

The following three options are laid out in the EA report:

A. Casino & Hotel

- Transfer approximately 29 acres into federal trust status for the Osage Nation

- Construct and operate a casino-resort facility including:

40,000 sq ft gaming floor with up to 750 Class II gaming devices
150-room hotel tower
Food and beverage areas
Meeting rooms
Fitness center and pool
435 parking spaces

- Total building size of approximately 237,160 sq ft

- Estimated to create 455 permanent jobs locally

- Construction estimated to take 12-18 months starting in 2025

- Estimated to generate $100.6 million in annual economic output locally

B. Hotel with NO Casino

- Transfer same 29 acres into federal trust status

- Construct and operate a 100-room hotel (similar to previous hotel on site)

- Include amenities like pool, fitness center, limited meeting space

- Approximately 150 parking spaces

- Estimated to create about 41 permanent jobs locally

- Much smaller scale than Alternative A

- Would generate significantly less economic output than Alternative A

C. No Action

- No transfer of land into federal trust

- No development would occur in near term

- Site would remain in current undeveloped condition

- Jurisdiction would remain with City of Lake Ozark

- Does not meet tribe's economic development objectives

Public comments can be submitted by mail to the BIA’s Eastern Oklahoma Regional Office in Muskogee, Oklahoma, or emailed to admin@osagelakeozarkea.com.

The full EA is available for review at www.OsageLakeOzarkEA.com.

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