Legislators Make Early Run At Legal MO Sports Betting In 2021

Three Missouri Senators have pre-filed different potential sports betting bills for the 2021 legislative session.
Senators, Caleb Rowden, Denny Hoskins, and Tony Luetkemeyer each pushed forth separate bills.
Missouri failed to pass through any of the six bills filed during the 2020 legislative session.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Sports betting in Missouri is once again going to be pushed through the legislature in hopes to be approved by lawmakers.

Three Missouri Senators, Caleb Rowden, Denny Hoskins, and Tony Luetkemeyer, have pre-filed sports betting bills to Missouri legislators with the hopes of one of them being approved.

Senators in the Show Me State presented six bills for the 2020 session with none managing to gain approval. Sports betting in Missouri could be a reality if any of the new bills are approved.

Missouri Sports Betting Bills

Missouri is among several states looking to launch sports betting 2021 and has tried and failed to get approval for their sports betting bills several times.

During the 2020 legislative session, lawmakers voted against all six of the presented bills. The reason being the coronavirus pandemic, as the shutdowns caused many potential policies to be voted down as the state dealt with seemingly more pressing matters.

The new bills, SB 18 presented by Hoskins, SB 217 presented by Luetkemeyer, and SB 256 Rowden all have more optimism surrounding them compared to the 2020 bills.

Rules Of The Bills

The three legal sports betting bills are mostly similar but do have differences when it comes to how much operators will pay the state as well as the price on the application fee.

SB 256 will legalize both retail and online sports betting. The bill will have a $50,000 application fee alongside an annual $20,000 sports betting operation fee. Sportsbooks will also be taxed at a 6.5% rate.

SB 217 will have a $10,000 application fee, a tax rate of 6.25%, and operations will pay a $5,000 annual fee. In addition, a $10,000 commission fee every five years will be required.

SB 18 will have a $25,000 application fee, a 9.0% tax rate, and a $50,000 annual license renewal fee. In addition, $10,000 to the commission every five years will also be paid.

Each bill will be reviewed by lawmakers in Missouri and voted on by the 2021 legislative session. Should any bills be passed, legal sports betting can launch in Missouri by August of 2021.

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Giovanni Shorter

Coming from a background in narrative-based writing, Giovanni strives to write stories that will keep the reader engaged. Although he does pride himself in being accurate, how the story is told is also very important to him. When he’s not keeping readers up to date on sports betting laws and legislation, you can find him writing and recording music, playing videogames, or engaged in heated sports debates with his friends.