The organization behind the unsuccessful Lake Ozark casino vote in November 2024 is now facing a federal lawsuit in Missouri as it contemplates a renewed push for the 2026 election.
Groundgame Political Solutions, Inc. has filed a lawsuit naming Lake of the Ozarks Community Gaming, along with its primary investors and executives—Andrew Prewitt, Jeffrey Tegethoff, Anna Tegethoff, and Ramis Gheith—as defendants. The suit alleges that Lake of the Ozarks Community Gaming failed to compensate the canvassing service after halting its 2026 casino referendum campaign in April.
According to Groundgame, it was brought on as a subcontractor in March 2026 after the casino investors realized that their main canvassing service would not meet a critical May 15 deadline. The campaign aimed to gather 200,247 signatures from Missouri voters by this deadline to qualify a ballot initiative for November that would allow for amendments to the state constitution regarding riverboat gaming on or near the Osage River.
Groundgame maintains that it was later positioned as the primary signature gatherer for the casino campaign.
Campaign Allegations
Groundgame asserts that it was attracted to assist the Lake Ozark casino initiative based on assurances of proper funding for its services. Lake of the Ozarks Community Gaming claimed to have successfully managed and financed a similar campaign in 2024, prior to being known as Osage River Gaming & Convention Committee, where they collaborated with Bally’s Corp. to secure a casino resort on a former quarry situated east of Highway 54 near the Lake of the Ozarks landmark.
“To persuade the Plaintiff to provide its signature collection services, Defendants made promises regarding timely payments, bonuses for campaign success, and purported millions in investor funding. They also highlighted their past experiences, emphasizing that this was their second endeavor at a constitutional amendment,” the complaint from Groundgame states.
“The issue lies with the fact that Defendants had no real intention of compensating Plaintiff. They lacked the promised millions in funding and any campaign bonuses. Defendants were fully aware of this. Nonetheless, through repeated assurances of incoming funds—complete with fake screenshots of wire transfers that never materialized—Defendants lured Plaintiff into taking on a substantial signature collection campaign and then left Plaintiff without support,” the lawsuit claims.
Groundgame alleges that Lake of the Ozarks Community Gaming suddenly abandoned the campaign and neglected to pay for $1.5 million worth of services already rendered.
Groundgame states it is owed $1,511,550.24 for its services and related expenses. The company is seeking a court judgment of $1,611,550.24 plus interest or the initial amount along with $30,000 in liquidated damages and $3,500 in late fees, as well as legal and court costs. A jury trial is requested.
Upcoming Lake Ozarks Tribal Casino
With the cancellation of the 2026 Lake Ozarks casino referendum, the Osage Nation is set to maintain a local gaming monopoly with the opening of its Osage Casino, which will be situated on the site of a former Quality Inn Hotel at the prominent intersection of Bagnell Dam Boulevard and Osage Beach Parkway.
The Osage Casino at Lake Ozarks represents a $100 million project, featuring a 40,000-square-foot casino with 750 electronic bingo machines, a hotel with 150 rooms, 6,000 square feet of meeting space, alongside various dining and bar options. This development is a tribal initiative permitted under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which means it will not offer traditional slot machines, live-dealer table games, or sports betting, similar to what is found in Missouri’s riverboat casinos.