Looking to end to the "loss limit"

Missouri voters may get another chance to eliminate the unique "loss limit" that has been in effect since gaming came to the state in 1992. There have been a couple of attempts by the state legislature in recent years to end the "loss limit" rule, but they haven't succeeded.

In case you aren't familiar with Missouri's loss limit, here's how it works. When boarding a Missouri riverboat casino, patrons are required to present an ID to get a Players Club slot card. The card is used to track a person's chip and slots purchases. Individuals are not allowed to play more than $500 in any two-hour period. Casinos have established the two-hour periods as beginning with even numbered hours, i.e., 12-2, 2-4, 4-6, etc. So, for example, if you purchase $500 worth of chips, you can't buy any more until the beginning of the next even-numbered hour. Same rule for slots players -- once you've put $500 into the machines, you can't play any more until the beginning of the next even-numbered hour. The procedure is tightly controlled. Slots players know that the machine won't work until the card in inserted. Ditto for table players, they can't get chips till the card is presented. There is no limit on winnings.

Missouri is the only state with a loss limit of this type. Colorado casinos have a limt of five dollars on an individual bet. Blackjack players don't especially like that limit because they can't double down. In Washington state, most of the Indian tribes operating casinos have agreed to a maximum bet of five dollars on their slots. To my knowledge, these three states are the only ones that place limits on gamblers' wagering.