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Casino Opponents Push for Last-Minute Signatures

A rendering of the facility Pinnacle wants to build
A rendering of the facility Pinnacle wants to build

By Kevin Lavery, KWMU

St. Louis, MO – A group of people in St. Louis County is trying to gather 25,000 signatures by Tuesday to overturn a county ordinance allowing Pinnacle Entertainment to build a new casino in Lemay.

The group Casino Watch says Pinnacle's plan to bring 5,000 new slot machines to Lemay would create more gambling addicts and force local companies out of business. As of Saturday evening, the group was still about 10,000 names short of its goal. Still, chairman Mark Andrews remains optimistic.

"The gaming commission has said that they will never put a casino in a community that doesn't want it. And so if 15,000 have come forward and said we don't want another casino, that's a pretty compelling statement," Andrews says.

Casino Watch must submit its petition by noon Tuesday to put the referendum on the November ballot.

Even if the group places the item on the ballot, the Missouri Gaming Commission will have the final say on the Lemay casino proposal.

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