The state of Missouri fails to legalize sports betting again

Sports Betting Fails in Missouri Laws & Regulations

Missouri Once Again Fails to Legalize Sports Betting

By Lisa Spencer Senior Editor Updated: 24 May 2023

Lisa Spencer Senior Editor

As a Senior Editor at Betting.US, Lisa Spencer is a valuable member of our expert team. With a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Lisa is adept in gambling theory and analyzing odds. She contributes by writing online sportsbook reviews and finding competitive markets to help our readers make an informed choice.

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Missouri has once again failed to legalize sports betting. It managed to gain bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, but the bill to legalize betting then stalled in the Senate. This failure to pass sports betting laws was mainly due to the actions of Sen. Denny Hoskins.

Sen. Hoskins is an opponent of skill and video game terminals, which have become exceptionally widespread in the state. He believes that if sports betting is legalized – something Hoskins supports – then lawmakers should also act on the skill and video game terminals.

Hoskins decided to stall the legislation, meaning it remained on the sidelines through the final day of lawmaking in the state. This is the second time Hoskins has almost single-handedly scuppered an act to regulate sports betting, as he filibustered HB 2502 last year. He obstructed the bill this year, despite previously stating he would not be an obstructionist this time.

Lawmakers Argue on Final Legislative Day

The final legislative day in Missouri saw lawmakers bicker over which statutes should be voted on, and which would miss the cut. Senate majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin tried to push the measure in the final hours, but Hoskins refused to bring the bill to the floor. Hoskins is an ally of Sen. Bill Eigel, who has been at odds with O’Laughlin through much of the final legislative week.

Despite failing, legal sports betting had broad support from lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican. Senate President Pro Tem Caleb puts the blame squarely at the feet of Hoskins, telling Hoskins to “get out of the way” if he couldn’t find support for his position.

Definite Appetite for Betting in Missouri

It’s undeniable that there’s a huge appetite for sports betting in Missouri. Multiple sports betting bills were filed in 2023, and HB556 – the bill torpedoed by Hoskins – had support from casinos and sports teams in the state.

The appetite for legal betting was underscored by figures released by GeoComply, which said it had to block nearly nine million attempts to place bets from within Missouri throughout the last NFL season.

Some, including St. Louis Cardinals president Bill DeWitt, are considering supporting a referendum that would allow citizens to decide on whether sports betting should be legalized. DeWitt said:

We’re going to take a serious look at that. I think there are a few things we may push on here at the end. We’re just so frustrated. It’s working against our fans and our citizens who overwhelmingly support it.

Representatives from the Kansas City Royals have already thrown their support behind the idea of a referendum on sports betting.

Missouri Surrounded by States with Legal Betting

Missouri is nearly an island in sports betting terms, as it is almost encircled by neighbors with legal sports betting. Of its eight neighboring states, only Oklahoma is yet to legalize sports betting in any form. Many from Missouri who live near the border often take the chance to hop into a neighboring state and place bets.

Kentucky has not yet launched legal betting, but it has been legalized, with Kentuckians hoping it will begin before the next NFL season.