Missouri could legalise sports betting in next year’s legislative season

Missouri state Senator Denny Hoskins has filed a new bill – SB 44 – proposing that the state legalise sports betting (including online sports betting) during the 2019 legislative session.

Local media reports indicate that Hoskins’ proposes modifying existing state legislation on gambling to include sports wagering, which he estimates could bring between $10 and $40 million into state coffers.

SB44 would see regulated sports betting confined to “excursion gambling boats.” And  online through an interactive platform, but this would require prior in-person account activation by the punter.

A 12 percent tax on GGR is proposed, along with an additional 2 percent that will be collected as an administrative fee, to be transferred to the Veterans’ Commission Capital Improvement Trust Fund, and a further 0.5 percent on turnover to be paid by operators every quarter and allocated to the Entertainment Facilities Infrastructure Fund, to be used for building public convention centres, multipurpose sports and entertainment venues.

Applicants will also be expected to pay a $10,000 application fee, and a $5,000 annual license renewal fee.

The bill tasks the Missouri Gaming Commission with promulgating rules for advertisements, which will be required to “disclose the identity of the operator, provide information about resources relating to gambling addiction, [not be] false, misleading, or deceptive, and do not target minors or other ineligible individuals.”

There are provisions requiring operators to conduct background checks on employees, and to maintain security of data collected during operations. They must also maintain records of all bets placed, including identification of the gambler and the amount wagered.

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