Casinos pour nearly $3.6 million into Yes on A campaign

Forget Kenny Hulshof and Jay Nixon.

The big money in the 2008 November general election is coming from two casinos attempting to push a measure going before Missouri voters that would remove loss limits and eliminate competition.

So far, Ameristar Casinos and Pinnacle Entertainment have spent $6 million to push Proposition A. That includes the first $1 million plus contributions made since Aug. 28.

Both casinos gave $1,787,500 to the Yes on A Coalition, for a total of $3,575,000, according to 48-hour reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission. Pinnacle Entertainment made its contribution Sept. 2 while the Ameristar Casino money came on Sept. 8.

The issue has been pushed, as many gambling initiatives have been in the past, by emphasizing money that will go to education. In fact, the Yes on A Coalition was initially called Yes for Schools First Coalition, but that was changed Aug. 21, as noted in the Aug. 30 Turner Report.

Though the committee made early claims about widespread support from educators, all of the money to support the measure comes from Ameristar Casinos and Pinnacle Entertainment.