Missouri lawmakers will take another shot at legalizing sports betting this session, five months after neighboring Kansas launched retail and digital wagering and left Missouri nearly surrounded by others with live, legal betting. Its only two border states without legal wagering are Kentucky and Oklahoma.
As of Thursday, six betting bills had been filed. Three on the House side were headed to the Emerging Issues Committee and three on the Senate side will rest with the Appropriations Committee. A source told that the Emerging Issues Committee will hold a hearing next week and that the Senate will hold off with any movement until any House action takes place.
That said, two of the Senate bills include legalizing video lottery terminals, which has been a non-starter for the House.
House pushing same proposal as 2022
So far, bills filed by Reps. Dan Houx (HB 556) and Phil Christofanelli (HB 581) have been assigned to the House committee.