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Attempts to legalize sports betting in Missouri in 2024 are already underway.
Earlier this week, two Missouri lawmakers filed two separate bills, SB852 and SB824, in the new legislative session. Both bills aim to legalize sports betting in the state.
Previous efforts to legalize sports betting in the state haven’t been successful, although neighboring states Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Arkansas have allowed it.
Two Missouri sports betting bills start 2024 legislative session
Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer has filed SB852, which calls for legalizing online sports betting in Missouri. The bill would allow the state’s riverboat casinos to team up with up to three online sportsbooks. SB852 would also let each Missouri professional sports team partner with one online sports betting operator.
Senate bill suggests a 12% tax rate on adjusted gross wagering receipts (AGR), with tax revenue going straight to the state’s education fund.
SB852 also includes self-exclusion and responsible gaming programs and demands a study on the impact of gambling every five years.
Other important points include:
- A $100,000 license fee plus renewal fees every four years
- 21 as the minimum gambling age requirement
- Restriction on betting on school sports
- College sports betting is not allowed on in-state teams and no prop bets allowed on college sports
- 100% of promotions deductible during the first year, then reduced by 25% each year
The second bill, SB824, filed by Sen. Denny Hoskins, is very similar to as SB852, offering many of the same sports betting suggestions and responsible gaming actions.
Hoskins sees the legalization of gaming machines under the lottery as an excellent opportunity to form a dedicated funding source for veterans’ homes and cemeteries. Denny Hoskins has also been vocal about sports betting barriers in Missouri, as he got a lot of blame for the failure to pass legislation legalizing sports betting.
The bill suggests a 10% tax rate and video lottery terminals (VLTs), also known as video gaming terminals or video slots, currently operating in legal gray areas.
Furthermore, SB 824 would allow riverboats to partner with two mobile sports betting providers. They would have to pay a higher administration fee of $250,000 for the first partnership and $500,000 for the second.
Missouri sports teams joined forces to legalize sports betting
Missouri’s Secretary of State John Jay Ashcroft approved the final ballot language for the legal sports betting campaign in November 2023.
It is now up to the proposal organizers, Missouri Pro Sports Coalition, to secure 170,000 signatures from voters across the state to place a question on the ballot.
A few months ago, the coalition of Missouri’s professional sports teams filed eight ballot proposals aiming to change the state’s constitution via a referendum. They all propose a 10% tax on wagers and suggest creating a $5 million problem gambling fund.
If approved, the ballot measure would let the state’s professional sports teams and 13 Missouri casinos offer on-site and online sports betting accessible from across the state.
