Sports betting proposal revived in Missouri legislature

BY SEAN BRYNDA

Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — Fans of Missouri professional sports may get the opportunity to win — or lose — big bucks. The House Committee on Public Policy examined on Tuesday the benefits and drawbacks of legalizing sports betting in Missouri.

This means that any fans of professional teams would get the chance to bet money on live games. These teams include the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues and the St. Louis City Soccer Club.

Currently, sports wagering and betting apps are not legal in the state of Missouri.

Bills that would legalize sports betting have been sponsored by Rep. Phil Christofanelli, R-St. Peters and Dan Houx, R- Warrensburg. These bills, HB 2556 and HB 2502, would help generate money that would then be used to fund schools.

“This bill is more than a sportsbook, it’s a revenue generator,” Houx said.

A portion of the revenue would go toward problem gambling programs.

“Sports gambling is occurring right now in the state of Missouri, and there are none of these protections that are accompanying that type of activity,” Christofanelli said.

More than 31.4 million Americans placed bets on the Super Bowl this year across the United States.

Similar bills have been attempted before in the Missouri Statehouse. This year, the bill has support from a coalition of casinos and professional sports teams.

Bob Priddy, the former news director of the Missouri News Network, was opposed to the bills.

“In the five years since the bills that have been introduced, there has been no line in any of the legislation that puts Missouri’s state interests first,” Priddy said in an interview. “The bills themselves would lower tax rates and would give tax cuts to casinos all over the state.”

Back in 2018, Nevada was the only state in the United States that allowed betting on live sports. Now, 33 states have legalized sports betting, according to the American Gaming Association. This has resulted in the generation of millions of dollars in tax proceeds from sportsbook companies and casinos.

Illinois legalized sports betting in 2020. According to the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability report, sports betting was estimated to generate between $58 million and $102 million for state coffers.

If either HB 2502 or HB 2556 passed, the legislation would generate up to $96 million in revenue, according to legislative staff.