Isle of Capri- Cape Girardeau is moving along. Read the story from reporter Melissa Miller in
the Southeast Missourian newspaper.
From the Associated Press
Barrett Hatches
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Missouri Gaming Commission has a new chairman.
Gov. Jay Nixon on Tuesday picked Barrett Hatches, of Kansas City, to take over for James Mathewson, who stepped down as chairman at the end of May.
The Missouri Gaming Commission regulates the casinos.
Hatches has served on the commission since 2010. He is the former president and CEO of Northern Indiana Public Service Co. and of Enstar Natural Gas in Alaska. He also was the director of field services for Missouri Gas Energy and chief operating officer for Swope Community Enterprises in the Kansas City area.
From the St.Louis Post Dispatch-
Missouri's newest casino will apparently open earlier than expected, but building it is proving more costly than anticipated.
The Southeast Missourian reports that construction of Isle of Capri's new casino in Cape Girardeau is ahead of schedule. Casino officials now say they expect to open on Nov. 1, two months earlier than previously expected.
The gambling company says the revised projected cost for the casino is $135 million, about $10 million more than the previous estimate.
Read the story in the Southeast Missourian newspaper.
Jessica Machetta of the Missourinet reports on Chairman Mathewson leaving the MGC. Listen to the story here.
From St.Louis Public Radio
The chairman of the Missouri Gaming Commission, Jim Mathewson, will announce he's stepping down tomorrow, according to commission spokeswoman LeAnn McCarthy.
Mathewson, of Sedalia, Mo., has been on the Gaming Commission since 2009 and was chairman for most of his tenure there. Previously, he served as a Missouri state representative and then state senator. He served as the Senate's President Pro Tem for eight years.
Mathewson presided over the effort to allow people to remove themselves from the List of Disassociated Persons. The state's 13th casino license was also given out under his leadership.
Matthewson's term had expired on April 29, 2012, but McCarthy said she did not know if that was related to his decision to resign.
Gov. Nixon is responsible for naming Mathewson's replacement, which will require Senate confirmation. When contacted by St. Louis Public Radio, Nixon would not comment on possible nominees.
The Des Moines Register.com has an interesting story regarding the Lakeside Casino. Former Missouri casino manager Bob Thursby is mentioned within.
From Bransontrilakesnews.com
GALENA — A Crane man has been charged with promoting gambling for having two slot machines in his convenience store on which he allegedly paid winnings.
Aman Pasricha, 28, was arrested Friday following a search of Circle K Convenience Store at 121 North Commerce Street in Crane.
According to a probable cause statement, members of the Combined Ozarks Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement Team received information that two slot machines in the store were paying out cash to winners. Officers located the machines in the corner of the store, placed money into the machines and determined they were in working condition.
The officers played the machines for a short time and then pushed the cashout button.
Officers took the tickets to the counter where a male, later identified as Pasricha, totaled the winnings to just over $17.
Pasricha reportedly paid the officers cash from the register and told them the more they play the better the chances of winning, according to the statement.
The gambling was captured by video and audio devices, according to police.
Officers contacted an official with the Missouri Gaming Commission and confirmed that the machines are illegal gambling devices.
A search warrant was served on the business Thursday, at which time officers saw a sign above the machines stating the maximum payout would be $2,500, according to police.
Officers seized the machines and the currency inside it.
Deputies also located an audit slip from April 24 showing that machine No. 1 had taken in a total of $2,198 and paid out a total of $1,896 with a grand total being $8,839 and a grand total paid out had been $4,736.55.
A second audit slip from machine No. 2 from the same date showed a total of $455 in and $415.70 paid out and a grand total of $5,270 paid in and a total of $1,311.10 paid out, according to the statement.
Pasricha posted bond of $2,500 and was released from the Stone County Jail on the same day he was arrested.
Interesting piece on Cleveland's new casino from WKYC.com
Tim Bryant of the St.Louis Post Dispatch reports. Read it here.
