Missouri Bills Pass House: Face Uphill Battle in Senate

• Missouri’s House of Representatives have passed two sports betting legalization bills.
• Both bills will have a tough road ahead as the Senate’s current endeavors as well as Senator Denny Hoskins will prove to be big hurdles.
• A similar sports betting bill died last year when Hoskins filibustered for multiple hours.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri has begun making strides by passing HB 556 with a vote of 118-35 alongside companion bill HB 581 through the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Now the bill is set to be sent to the Senate where it will face much more pushback, especially from Senator Denny Hoskins.

Proponents of the bill like Rep. Dan Houx are hoping that the bill does not follow in the same footsteps as last year’s legalization push that fell short in the Senate. Legal Missouri sportsbooks and professional teams alike have supported the bills but the controversial issue of VLTs may threaten the future of sports betting bills in the Senate.

Hoskins Stands Strong Against Lack of VLTs

With what is seemingly becoming a trend in Missouri’s legislature, Senator Denny Hoskins once again stands as one of the biggest roadblocks in the legalization of sports betting. The lack of inclusion regarding the topic of VLTs will likely lead to Hoskins stalling sports betting bills from passing, much like he did just one month ago.

Aside from the consistent pushback from Hoskins, the Missouri Senate is currently tied up with another contested topic being a bill to ban gender-affirming care for minors in the state. Missouri’s attorney general has however begun preparations to file an emergency rule that will ram through the legislation and bypass the typical legislative process.

While this is a worrisome development for the legislative integrity of the state, it perhaps opens up the Senate to focus on the freshly passed sports betting bills. With less than two months remaining in the current legislative session, Missouri’s sports betting legalization movement may be cutting it very close to the deadline.

The limited time frame bodes poorly for the chances of getting sports betting legalized in Missouri during this year’s legislative session, especially because proponents of HB 556 have specifically attempted to separate the issues of sports betting and VLTs.

Hoskins has not responded in kind, consistently shooting down any standalone bills that do not combine the two topics and will likely continue to slow down any progress being made unless he gets his way. This is all despite the support for HB 556 from professional sports teams and sportsbook operators alike.

What You Need to Know About HB 556

HB 556 if passed will legalize sports betting to the general public and give them both in-person betting at state-ran casinos as well as expand the number of online options massively.

Both Missouri casinos and professional sports teams will have the ability to partner with well-known operators, allowing each casino to have up to three partners while professional teams are each allowed one. In total the number of partnerships could be as high as 45 if all 13 casinos and six professional teams reach the limit.

Primary bill sponsor Rep. Houx has often made remarks about the loss of revenue by allowing gray-area betting that does not net the state any money. The bill aims to remedy this by levying a 10% tax on adjusted gross revenue.

Overall, the heavy support by professional sports teams paired with an overwhelming passing by the House should breed some confidence that sports betting legalization will eventually lead to legal betting sites in Missouri.

Yet, with the combination of prominent issues taking up the Senate’s attention, limited time left for the current session, and Senator Hoskins continuing to obstruct the passage of exclusively sports betting bills, the worry for a repeat of 2022’s disastrous outcome is steadily increasing.