The Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee recently voted 8-1 to move the sports betting bill HB 2502 to the Senate floor. The House passed the measure 115-33 last month.
Committee Chairman state Senator Dan Hegeman said the bill still is “a work in progress,” particularly regarding its tax rate of 8 percent, which senators consider too low. The House approved that rate to ensure it would be lower than the 10 percent proposed in Kansas’ sports betting bill. The final rate probably will end up between the bill’s original 10 percent and 21 percent as proposed in a bill sponsored by state Senator Denny Hoskins.
The 8 percent tax rate would generate an estimated $9 million for the state, compared with $163 million at the 21 percent rate.
The Senate also is expected to include $500,000 to address problem gambling services.
HB 2502, sponsored by state Rep. Dan Houx, is one of several sports betting bills backed by a coalition of Missouri professional sports teams and casinos and sportsbook operators. It allows mobile and retail wagering, including sportsbooks at Missouri’s 13 casinos, and includes 39 mobile skins−33 for casino operators and six for the state’s sports teams.
Houx said, “Our casinos pay taxes here in Missouri. Our sports team pay large taxes in Missouri. Even the players pay large taxes in Missouri. So, there’s a bigger, broader scheme to this. In my opinion, we’re getting zero revenue off illegal sports gambling in Missouri. It’s happening every day in offshore accounts and we’re getting zero. So, anything’s better than nothing.”
He added, “Just for the Super Bowl, for instance, there were 3.9 million bets placed within 10 miles of the state of Missouri. I’m just talking about the state of Iowa, Illinois and Tennessee who have legalized gambling. We lost out on some revenue there.”
Missouri legislators have tried to approve sports betting for four years. However, various bills have stalled because of conflicts over banning unregulated, illegal slot machines that have proliferated at gas stations, truck stops and bars in recent years.
