Missouri lawmakers mull over new online sports betting bill

Missouri legislators are mulling over a new bill that would legalise sports betting online and on designated watercraft.

Backed by Senator Denny Hoskins, SB 44 would allow gamblers to place bets via the internet provided they first register for an account in-person.

It would also give the Missouri Gaming Commission the power to issue sports betting licences to many of the gambling boats that sail the state’s waterways.

Permits would cost $10,000 apiece plus an annual renewal fee of $5,000, while gaming venues would cop a 12 per cent on gross takings from sports wagering and a further 2.5 per cent administrative fee on total betting receipts.

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Those administrative fees would go towards government projects such as the Veterans’ Commission Capital Improvement Trust Fund and the maintenance and improvement of the state’s sport and entertainment facilities.

The bill also includes a number of measures for the prevention of betting corruption and problem gambling, including background checks for all sports betting staff.

This is not the first time Senator Hoskins has pushed gambling reform in the Missouri General Assembly.

He was also behind S 767 and S 1013, both of which are still under consideration in the Senate.

Several similar bills have surfaced in the House of Representatives since May 2018, when the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).