Missouri Again Attempting to Legalize Sports Betting

Missouri Attempts to Legalize Sports Betting Again

By Lisa Spencer Senior Editor Updated: 20 January 2024

Lisa Spencer Senior Editor

As a Senior Editor at Betting.US, Lisa Spencer is a valuable member of our expert team. With a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Lisa is adept in gambling theory and analyzing odds. She contributes by writing online sportsbook reviews and finding competitive markets to help our readers make an informed choice.

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Two Sports Betting Bills Put Forward

Senator Tony Luetkemeyer has put forward SB852, a bill aiming to make online sports betting legal in Missouri. This bill would let the state’s riverboat casinos work with up to three online sports betting companies. It also allows Missouri’s professional sports teams to have partnerships with one online betting company each.

SB852 proposes a 12 percent tax on the money earned from sports betting, which would go to the state’s education fund. It includes rules for safe gambling and asks for a study every five years to see how gambling affects people. In the first year, betting companies can fully deduct promotions, but this reduces by 25% each year after that.

The main points of SB852 include a $100,000 fee to get a license, with renewal fees every four years. In addition, gamblers must be at least 21 years of age, and there is no betting on school sports, college sports teams from Missouri, or special bets on college sports.

Senator Denny Hoskins has introduced a similar bill, SB824. It shares many of SB852’s ideas and also focuses on responsible gambling. Hoskins wants to use gaming to create a fund for veterans’ homes and cemeteries. His bill suggests a 10 percent tax rate and addresses the gray legal area of video lottery terminals (VLTs).

SB824 would let riverboat casinos work with two mobile sports betting companies, but they would have to pay more – $250,000 for the first partnership and $500,000 for the second.

Missouri Sports Teams Join Push to Collect Signatures

Last year, Missouri’s Secretary of State approved a proposal for legal sports betting. The Missouri Pro Sports Coalition, which is made up of Missouri sports teams including the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals, now needs to gather 170,000 signatures to get a sports betting question on the ballot. According to PlayUSA, John Jay Ashcroft, Missouri’s Secretary of State:

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.

The teams had earlier proposed eight changes to the state’s constitution to allow sports betting. These proposals suggest a 10 percent tax on sports betting and creating a $5 million fund to help with gambling problems. Gambling issues have become a huge concern for sports betting states across the country.

If the public votes yes on this, Missouri’s professional sports teams and 13 casinos could offer sports betting both at their locations and online across the state.