Missouri Last Chance for Sports Betting

Missouri which last week was scratched from the possibility of legalising sports betting by state senator Caleb Rowden by saying the odds do not look good for the bill passing this session may after all be still alive.

The state has wrestled with sports betting for over a year now with wrangling over linking it with video lottery terminals (VLT), one senator Dan Houx is opposed in his bill and the other senator Hoskins wants his bill combining the two.

If one or both come to an agreement then it could still be reality that sports betting happens this session.

Senator Houx said this week, “I’m working with Senator Hoskins, we had a meeting this week. I’m very optimistic that we’re going to come to agreement to get it done. As everybody knows, it’s kind of been hinging on Senator Hoskins, so I’m going to keep working on. That’s where we’re at.”

Houx went on to say, “Well I think the VLT discussion’s off the board,” said Houx. “We saw what happened in the Senate last week. It went down in flames. I think right now it’s come down to the fees, the tax rate, and making sure we get what people want in the state. Everybody wants sports gambling. They don’t want – or they haven’t talked about VLTs.”

The bills do have the backing of the state’s major league sports teams and casinos and needs one more vote in the lower chamber before moving to the Senate. It was brought to the House by Republican Dan Houx (R-Warrensburg). The legislation proposes sports betting companies pay a revenue tax of 10 per cent to the state’s education fund.