Two Missouri Sports Betting Bills Filed for 2024 Session

• The two Missouri sports betting bills introduced Wednesday would bring legal sports betting to the Show Me State.
• Senator Tony Leutkemeyer filed Senate Bill 852, another attempt to legalize sports betting after last year’s bill fell short.
• Senator Denny Hoskins filed the second bill and requires video lottery terminals in any future Missouri sports betting legalization.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Legal Missouri sports betting efforts began Wednesday with two bill filings. Senators Tony Leutkemeyer and Denny Hoskins filed their respective bills for the 2024 legislative session that both would legalize sports betting in Missouri.

Senate Bill 852, filed under Sen. Leutkemeyer, would allow Missouri’s riverboat casinos and professional sports teams to partner with online sportsbooks. The casinos could choose up to three legal Missouri sports betting partners, while each Missouri professional team gets one online sportsbook partner.

The bill also includes a minimum betting age of 21 years old, a 12% tax rate, and a $100,000 licensing fee for sports betting operators. Sen. Hoskins’ bill is more focused on video lottery terminals, but it includes sports betting language and a lower 10% tax rate.

Senator Hoskins Persistent On VLT Inclusion

Both senators made efforts to bring legal sports betting to Missouri last year, but their attempts died in the Senate. This wasn’t a coincidence, as Sen. Hoskins will filibuster any Missouri sports betting legalization attempt that doesn’t include VLT language.

Due to Hoskins consistency, VLTs have been responsible for repeated Missouri sports betting legalization in the past. Although Sen. Leutkemeyer and the Missouri Pro Sports Betting Coalition don’t have an opinion on VLTs, their lack of support and sole focus on sports betting conflicts with Hoskins’ beliefs.

Spearheaded by the St. Louis Cardinals, the Missouri Pro Sports Betting Coalition aims to bring legal sports betting to a vote rather than having their fate decided in the Senate. The Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Current, and St. Louis Blues all partnered to submit four petitions for a constitutional change, but for now, SB 852 is Missouri’s best shot at legal sports betting in 2024.

News tags: Denny Hoskins | Kansas City Chiefs | Kansas City Royals | Missouri | Missouri Pro Sports Betting Coalition | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Cardinals | Tony Leutkemeyer