Missouri sports betting bill to begin in 2024 legislative session
The new year will bring renewed efforts to legalize sports betting in Missouri.
Two Missouri lawmakers have filed two separate bills to kick off the new legislative session. Both bills aim to legalize sports betting in “showcase states.”
State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer (R-Buchanan) filed SB852 calling for legalizing online sports betting and allowing riverboat casinos to merge with three online sportsbooks. The bill would also allow any professional sports team in Missouri to partner with online sports betting.
It was previously reported that professional teams, including the Major League Baseball St. Louis Cardinals, have expressed a willingness to fund a national initiative to legalize sports betting.
SB 852 proposes a 12% tax rate, with tax revenue going to the State Education Fund.
The second bill of the 2024 session is SB824, filed by state Sen. Danny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg). SB824 is similar to SB825, with a proposed tax rate of 10%. Senator Hoskins supports the legalization of video lottery terminals, a key goal of the bill. The legislation also allows Riverboats to partner with just two mobile sports betting providers.
Chance of passage in 2024
If history is any indication, the chances of a sports betting law passing are slim. All attempts to legalize sports betting have failed in recent years.
Even Senator Hoskin is seen as an obstacle, as he was blamed for the failure of sports betting legislation last year. A sports betting bill passed the state House of Representatives in 2023 but failed in a Senate committee.
Six of Missouri's seven neighboring states have legalized sports betting. Efforts to keep money from flowing across the state's borders could give some momentum to the legislation.
Missouri Secretary of State John Jay Ashcroft and the Missouri Professional Sports League are also pushing for a referendum to amend the state constitution to put a sports betting issue on the ballot.
Where Sports Betting Is Still Illegal
Missouri is one of a dozen states where sports betting remains illegal. More than five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for states to take this approach.
Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah are sports States where gambling remains illegal.
As Missouri lawmakers begin drafting a legislative framework in 2024, a petition filed by the Missouri Professional Sports Betting Alliance seeks to amend the Missouri Constitution and allow sports betting to be implemented by December 25, 2025.
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Source: www.casino.org
