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The investment group behind a stalled casino proposal at Lake of the Ozarks faces a $1.6 million federal lawsuit from the political consulting firm it hired to gather signatures for a Missouri constitutional amendment.
Missouri casino amendment faces second signature failure
Missouri’s Constitution limits commercial casinos to sites on or near the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Lake of the Ozarks Community Gaming has spent years trying to change that rule to build a casino resort near the Osage River, an effort that began in 2020.
The group’s first attempt came in 2024, partnering with Bally’s Casino Corp. on a resort east of Highway 54; Missouri voters rejected it, 52.5% to 47.5%. Investors regrouped and announced a second push for the November 2026 ballot, promising a smoother signature drive.
That promise didn’t hold. The campaign needed roughly 200,247 verified signatures by May 15 to qualify and fell short. Investor Andy Prewitt confirmed the group had paused the effort and that the campaign was formally halted in April.
Lake of the Ozarks Casino deal turns into fraud claim
Groundgame Political Solutions, led by owner Meghan Cox, filed suit June 5 in federal court, naming Lake of the Ozarks Community Gaming, developer Jeff Tegethoff, his wife Anna Tegethoff, investor Andy Prewitt, Tegethoff’s firm Signature GLP LLC, the AET 2021 Irrevocable Trust, physician-investor Ramis Gheith and several unnamed defendants.
Groundgame says it joined as a subcontractor in March 2026 after the original canvassing firm appeared unlikely to finish in time, then was elevated to lead the entire operation on short notice.
The suit alleges the investors lured Cox’s firm with promises of prompt payment, performance bonuses and millions in incoming investor funding, citing their 2024 campaign as proof of reliability. It further alleges the investors never intended to pay, knew the funding didn’t exist, and backed their claims with doctored screenshots of wire transfers that were never made.
Of the roughly $2.3 million Groundgame billed, only $710,000 was paid, leaving a shortfall of about $1.5 million, the suit says. Groundgame seeks roughly $1.61 million in damages, interest, late fees and costs.
Cox says she personally advanced more than $1 million to keep the canvassing operation running. Evidence reportedly includes screenshots of Prewitt and Tegethoff apologizing for delays and citing a promised $20 million investment that never arrived.
Missouri casino settlement collapses into bankruptcy
Cox says she later agreed to a $1.4 million settlement involving Lake of the Ozarks Community Gaming, Signature GLP and a separate Tegethoff-controlled development company, extending the deadline once to May 29. Tegethoff allegedly assured her he had the funds and authority to close the deal and would not seek bankruptcy protection to avoid paying.
No payment arrived. Days later, on June 1, Tegethoff filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on behalf of one of his development companies in Missouri’s Eastern District federal court — a move Cox’s complaint characterizes as an attempt to sidestep the settlement.
Tegethoff, a St. Louis-based developer, built the Preserve at Sycamore Creek apartments in Osage Beach and is leading the roughly $500 million Oasis at Lakeport complex under construction near the Grand Glaize Bridge.
He joined the casino group in late 2025 as lead developer and also faces a separate lawsuit alleging he misused investor funds on an unrelated residential project, which he denies. Prewitt told LakeExpo his attorneys had advised against comment. The allegations remain unproven, and Cox has requested a jury trial.
No 2026 ballot question, and a tribal rival advances
With the signature drive abandoned, Missouri voters won’t see a Lake of the Ozarks casino question on this year’s ballot, clearing the way for a competing project from the Osage Nation near Bagnell Dam Boulevard and Osage Beach Parkway.
The roughly $100 million tribal development is expected to include a large gaming floor with electronic bingo-style machines, a 150-room hotel, meeting space and dining venues. Because it falls under federal tribal gaming law, it won’t offer traditional slots, table games or sports betting — but it would give the Osage Nation an effective lakefront monopoly unless the investors mount a third statewide vote.
The case shows how quickly statewide ballot campaigns can unravel once trust between contractors and backers breaks down.
