Missouri lawmakers renew push to legalize sports betting after Kansas wagering launch
As Missourians cross into Kansas to place bets on sporting events, some Missouri lawmakers are hoping Gov. Mike Parson expands his special session to legalize sports wagering.
The House Emerging Issues committee on Monday discussed a bill filed by Rep. Dan Houx, a Warrensburg Republican, that would allow fans to place bets on major college and professional sports.
Houx introduced the bill after the legislature failed to beat neighboring Kansas in the race to pass similar legislation earlier this year. Some lawmakers worry that Missouri is leaving millions of dollars of tax revenue on the table, particularly from fans who can now travel to neighboring states like Kansas and Illinois to place bets.
“Missouri is losing out on revenue,” Houx told the committee. “We have people going into Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee, daily to place bets.”
In the first two weeks of sports betting in Kansas, which became legal Sept. 1, over 2.4 million bets were placed, according to data from the Kansas Lottery.
During Kansas’ first week of sports betting, roughly 104,000 attempts from people in Missouri trying to access the Kansas markets were blocked, according to GeoComply Solutions Inc., which supports all of the mobile sportsbooks in Kansas.
Several lawmakers mentioned Kansas during Monday’s hearing.
“I think I’ve made clear my disdain towards the state west of us called Kansas based on my prior life,” said state Rep. Kurtis Gregory, a Marshall Republican and former University of Missouri offensive lineman. “But here’s one where I actually want to be like Kansas, because they have something passed…that many of our constituents have talked to us about.”
State Rep. Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, said she was thrilled that the legislature was continuing to talk about legalizing sports betting.
“As someone who has been talking to my constituents face to face at their doors for months now, my neighbors are very upset that we haven’t gotten this done already,” she said.
However, the bill faces long odds in the Missouri General Assembly’s special session.
Parson, a Republican, called on lawmakers to return to Jefferson City to pass an income tax cut and agricultural tax credits for farmers. Parson would have to expand the special session for a sports betting bill to pass — which is unlikely.
“Sports betting is clearly beyond the call and does not relate to Governor Parson’s topics in the call,” Parson spokesperson Kelli Jones said in an emailed statement. “I do not anticipate the call being expanded to include sports betting during Special Session.”
Houx, in a text to The Star, indicated he was still optimistic.
“It is my hope he expands the call to include it,” he said..
Houx’s bill would impose a 10% tax rate on sports bets, which is expected to bring in more than $16 million to the state each year. The bill does not include any legislation related to controversial lottery machines, which was one of the main sticking points that caused sports betting to fail earlier this year.
Representatives from Missouri’s major sports teams spoke in favor of the bill, including the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Current, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues and St. Louis City SC. No one spoke in opposition to the bill.
