JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Penalties for underage patrons have spiked at Missouri casinos since voters last year eliminated ID cards that tracked how much money people were betting.

Since November 2008, regulators have levied five fines against casinos in cases involving underage patrons and disciplined 56 casino employees. From 2006 until November 2008, the Missouri Gaming Commission fined just one casino and disciplined 30 workers.

At issue is a 2008 ballot measure that eliminated Missouri's unique loss limits. It also got rid of identification cards that had been used to enforce the loss limits.

Regulators say there's a link between the uptick in penalties and eliminating the cards. The casino industry disputes that, and is studying better ways to keep underage people out of Missouri's 12 operating casinos.