A former city manager for the St. Louis suburb of Brentwood has been banned from entering any casino in Missouri.
The Missouri Gaming Commission on Wednesday added Christopher Seemayer to its involuntary exclusion list. Individuals are placed on the list after being convicted of a crime that centers around gambling. In Seemayer's case, he embezzled nearly $30,000 from the city and spent it at the Casino Queen in Illinois.
Seemayer pleaded guilty to two federal counts in October 2011 - he was sentenced to five years probation. He has 30 days to request a hearing on his placement on the list.
Also today, the Gaming Commission placed the following people on the "blacklist":
- Ralph M. Sides, of Jacksonville, Ill., who was convicted of assault in a 2008 incident that occurred on the floor of the Harrah's casino in Maryland Heights.
- Gary Kaplan, of St. Louis, who was convicted of several federal counts related to gambling and sentenced to prison.
- Elizabeth Lovelace of Jefferson City, Mo., who falsly identified herself as an employee of the Missouri Gaming Commission.
Today's additions appear to be the first since 2009. In a statement, Gaming Commission chairman Jim Mathewson said the process of awarding the state's 13th casino license took priority, and the commission anticipates adding at least four people to the list for the next several months.
