Missouri Sports Betting Issue Likely Not Included in Governor’s Special Sessions

• MO Governor Mike Parson Says Sports Betting Cannot be Voted on in Special Sessions
• State Rep. Dan Houx has Filed Sports Betting Legislation to Keep That Topic Relevant
• Odds Are Legal Sports Betting Talks in Missouri Won’t Happen Until 2023

As Missouri gamblers continue to watch their Kansan neighbors place legal sports bets ever since that market launched at the start of September, a tiny spark of hope was ignited when Governor Mike Parson announced that he would soon be holding special legislative sessions.

The way it works in Missouri is that when necessary these special legislative sessions can be called by the Governor if he feels something critical needs to be handled during the time when lawmakers are off, and he gets to pick the topic and this time it’s to settle some tax issues.

Sadly for Show Me State bettors, though, the Governor’s spokesperson, Kelli Jones, has made it perfectly clear to the local news media there that there will be no other topics discussed and no voting permitted on the sports betting issue at any of those special sessions, saying:

Sports betting is clearly beyond the call and does not relate to Governor Parson’s topics in the call. I do not anticipate sports betting being a part of special session.

That hasn’t stopped one state lawmaker from still giving it a legitimate try.

State Rep. Dan Houx has Filed Sports Betting Legislation to Keep That Topic Relevant

The newish legal sports betting market in the US has only been around since May 2018 when the Supreme Court overturned PASPA thereby allowing each state to decide if they want to legalize, regulate, and tax their own sports betting market for residents.

Since then, over 30 states and DC have launched some form of legal sports betting and those new markets have generated a multi-billion dollar annual handle in that time, and now Missouri’s closest neighbor Kansas is a part of all that action, and Show Me State leaders are taking notice.

In fact, in an effort to keep that issue alive in Missouri, state Rep. Dan Houx, a longtime advocate of bringing legal sports betting to his gambling constituents, just introduced a legal sports gambling bill, House Bill 4, hoping it might make it into an upcoming special session.

It’s definitely to keep [the legal sports betting issue] in the forefront, to show Missourians at least the House is trying to do everything that we promised them we’ll do.

Rep. Houx probably understands that his sports betting bill will not get voted on during the Governor’s upcoming special sessions, but his efforts are keeping the controversial issue in the weekly headlines.

Odds Are Legal Sports Betting Talks in Missouri Won’t Happen Until 2023

Were H.B. 4 to become law, it would allow for a retail and mobile market in Missouri, essentially similar to what was proposed earlier this year in a bill that passed through the House but was turned down by the Senate, though this new bill increases the tax rate from 8% up to 10%.

It’s a tempting money maker that most likely won’t be discussed in Missouri until 2023 when the next regular legislative session will be held.

Meanwhile, legislators are permitted to pre-file their bills starting in December, so expect Rep. Houx to put his H.B. 4 into the mix as Kansas continues to rake in millions of legal sports betting bucks right next store.

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