Will 2022 Be The Year For A Missouri Sports Betting Industry?
- The 2022 legislative session in Missouri is expected to see plenty of sports betting bills on the table.
- Missouri would like to open up a competitive sports gaming industry by way of retail venues, mobile applications, VLT’s, or all of the above.
- A regulated sportsbook market in Missouri is projected to see at least $250 million in annual revenue.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri State Legislature has not made any progress when it has come to regulating sports betting over the years. Various measures have been drawn up to have the industry become part of the state’s economic make up but none have come to pass. And yet, even with the 2021 session having adjourned in May, sports wagering is still very much a topic of conversation with all of those involved believing that 2022 might just be the year a bill for it will pass.
What’s Being Said In Missouri
Missouri State Senator Denny Hoskins (R-Warrensburg) will be proposing a bill in the 2022 session to get Video Lottery Terminals (VLT’s) to become a regulated and taxable market. Essentially, Hoskins’ sees these machines as gambling moneymakers that will provide at least a projected $250 million in annual revenue. This revenue would go toward the K-12 education system in Missouri and to help veteran housing initiatives.
VLT’s would be placed in bars and restaurants, as well as at truck stops, gas stations, and convenience stores. Hoskins’ would like to add more than just slot games to these machines and include sports betting and horse races as he’s seen other states have done this. His bill will include all of these details within the language for lawmakers to make an informed decision about this kind of gaming expansion.
“Several other states do have horse racing in their state. And what they’ve done is they’ve combined horse racing with video lottery terminals, with Sportsbook and things like that,” said Hoskins.
The inclusion of esports will also be drawn up in the draft because of the popularity of the industry and the surge of money it’s been seeing throughout the nation and the world.
“When you talk about esports, we’re talking about players, playing whether it’s Madden football, whether it’s Halo, whether it’s Fortnite. And there are tournaments all over the United States as well as all over the world with this going on,” said Hoskins. “Some states have even built esports stadiums in order to host many of these game tournaments. And so, I could see that being a huge industry coming into the state of Missouri.”
Other Bills Will Be On The Table In 2022
Other sports betting bills to regulate retail and mobile sportsbooks will be seen during the 2022 legislative session in Missouri. Some are expected to resemble proposals from other sessions like that of Senate Bill 98 from earlier this year. This measure would have had mobile and land-based sports gaming outlets and professional and collegiate betting but in-person registration would have been required to use sports wagering apps.
Talks on regulations and bills are continuing during the offseason but there is still expected to be plenty of pushback from lawmakers with opposing ideas on how a regulated sports betting industry for Missouri should look. Either way, many are confident that 2022 will finally be the year Missouri sees online sportsbooks become a reality.