Sports betting bill is being considered at Missouri legislature
On Wednesday (January 5) Missouri legislative session began, there are at least three sports betting bills already under consideration.
US.- 2022 could be the year sports betting is legalized in Missouri. This week, the legislative session began and there are at least three sports betting bills already under consideration. The session began Wednesday at the Capitol in Jefferson City and ends May 20. The bill may be discussed within the House.
Before 2021 ended, Sen. Denny Hoskins (R-Caldwell), Rep. Phil Christofanelli (R-St. Charles), Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Jefferson), and Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer (R-Buchanan) have pre-filed sports gambling bills.
It will be the fifth time Missouri lawmakers will consider legal sports betting since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned in May 2018. Four pieces of legislation to approve betting – House Bills 1024, 619, 1364 and 730 – were sent to the state’s senate back in May 2021 but all died in the committee phase.
House Bill 1666, filed by Republican Christofanelli, is similar to one filed by Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden last year. That was among 10 filed for the 2021 session, but didn’t get a hearing. Christofanelli’s version sets the tax rate at 6.75 per cent and does not have a league data mandate, but it does allow for sports governing bodies to request that certain events or bet types be banned.
According to Christofanelli’s initiative, licensees would pay a $50,000 initial application fee and a total of $40,000 per year: $20,000 in administrative fees and $20,000 in renewal fees.
The Missouri Gaming Commission would regulate, and digital operators would be required to work with existing gambling boats to offer wagering. Gambling boats would be awarded facility licenses, and digital platforms would then have to apply for an interactive sports platform license and partner with a facility.
Meanwhile Shaul‘s bill proposes to tackle two areas: betting and video lottery.
Speaking to KSDK, he said: “We’ll take legalized betting and also the video lottery terminals and add those together and deal with both issues at one time.”
Shaul argues that people from Missouri are spending millions in other states because of the current illegality of sports betting.
