Missouri Lawmakers Could Vote on Sports Betting Bill in 2022

• Senate Bill Introduced by Sen. Luetkemeyer Would Legalize Sports Betting in MO
• “Ancillary Issues” Like Unlicensed Lottery Machines Could Stall Attempts
• Luetkemeyer Says Passing Bill Could Have Close to a “$50 million Fiscal Impact”

Senate Bill Introduced by Sen. Luetkemeyer Would Legalize Sports Betting in MO

It could be that Missouri lawmakers have grown tired of watching sports gamblers who reside in that state spend their betting kitties elsewhere because lately there has been a lot of talk regarding passing a sports betting bill already introduced for the next legislative session.

State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer has introduced Senate Bill 764 and if passed, it would legalize sports betting in Missouri, meaning sports wagers would be allowed to be placed either online or by using a mobile device with geofencing that ensures that person is betting from Missouri.

According to MO Rep. J Eggleston, it’s not just state residents who want this bill passed, but also the pro sports franchises that make Missouri their home, telling the media:

My understanding is it’s actually the sports teams and the leagues such as Major League Baseball and the NFL (that) would like to see sports betting. They think that would increase the interest in their sport, which would increase their revenues…

The reality is that Show-Me State sports bettors already exist and are placing millions of dollars worth of bets using either illegal bookies, questionable offshore sportsbooks, or by traveling to neighboring states where this activity has already been made legal.

Many MO lawmakers, including Sen. Luetkemeyer, see this as a missed opportunity to generate funds that would benefit state residents, saying:

We’re increasingly seeing people in the state of Missouri who are leaving and going to those other states to place sportsbook bets, and that means we’re seeing money and tax revenue leave the state, money that would ordinarily go to schools.

But as is true with any new legislation proposed, Senate Bill 764 has already caused much debate.

“Ancillary Issues” Like Unlicensed Lottery Machines Could Stall Attempts

According to State Sen. Dan Hegeman, organizations “invested in sports gambling are looking to do an initiative petition and have sports gambling voted on by the people in 2022,” but he believes if done that way “we will get hung up again on ancillary issues that go along with wagering, such as video lotteries…”

That is why Rep. J Eggleston prefers to have this issue settled by the legislative process, saying he would “rather the legislative body be able to approve the language of the bill and ensure that the process is done the right way.”

However it’s done, it means big money for Missouri.

Luetkemeyer Says Passing Bill Could Have Close to a “$50 million Fiscal Impact”

As we recently reported in MO Lawmakers Pre-file Sports Betting Legislation, Project $400M Annual in Taxes, Rep. Dan Shaul has predicted that the state of Missouri “could bring in $400 million per year on taxes.”

The next legislative session in Missouri begins on January 5, 2022 and passing Senate Bill 764 then could have “close to a $50 million fiscal impact on the state,” according to Sen. Luetkemeyer, money that is currently going elsewhere.

Keep checking back for the latest news and updates on this ongoing story.