Most of the payments handed by Missouri lawmakers and signed into regulation this previous legislative session went into impact on Monday, however one difficulty that also hasn’t made it via the Capitol is legalizing sports activities betting.

The Missouri House voted up to now two classes to advance a invoice that will make it authorized for folks in Missouri to position bets each in individual at casinos and on-line. However, the Senate has not superior any of the laws.

This lack of motion has led to frustration from lawmakers, casinos, sports activities organizations and individuals who now make it a behavior to drive throughout state strains with a view to place a guess.

Cameron Basden used to dwell in Illinois however has lived within the St. Louis space for the previous few months. Basden makes his residing betting on sports activities, so each day he drives from Missouri to Illinois to position his bets.

“I probably spend like two, three hours driving a day just to get over there and to get back,” Basden mentioned.

Paul Halfacre, a Florissant resident, solely locations bets in individual versus on his telephone. He says seeing states that encompass Missouri legalize sports activities betting makes him marvel why the state is behind on this difficulty.

“I don’t know where the money goes after it gets out of my hands, but it might go back into the community when my money is now going over to the community in Alton or Collinsville as opposed to St. Charles,” Halfacre mentioned.

Brett Koenig, who’s behind Let MO Play, which advocates legalizing sports activities betting, mentioned among the disappointment is simply seeing the dysfunction inside the legislature on the difficulty.

“It’s frustrating and feels like something that we should be able to do,” Koenig mentioned.

Missouri lags behind different states

Brian Munoz

/

St. Louis Public Radio

Over 30 states have legalized sports activities betting, together with all however one of many states, Oklahoma, that border Missouri.

Rep. Dan Houx, R-Warrensburg, has labored his laws via the House the previous two years.

“We got it out of the House and then over to the Senate; they kind of just sat on it,” Houx mentioned.

Houx’s invoice handed the House with a vote of 118-35. The 12 months earlier than, the vote was 115-33.

Through this invoice, sports activities betting could be authorized each in individual on the state’s casinos and on-line, together with via cellular apps. People 21 and older would have the ability to guess on skilled and collegiate sports activities.

Sports betting wouldn’t be allowed in individual at wherever apart from licensed amenities inside a on line casino.

Houx mentioned it’s shameful that the legislature has not handed sports activities betting.

“We’ve got a deep base of great sports teams, although this year, both sides of the state are struggling a little bit on baseball, but you know, people want to bet,” Houx mentioned.

Tristen Rouse

/

St. Louis Public Radio

Mike Winter, govt director of the Missouri Gaming Association, mentioned that whereas casinos would revenue from permitting sports activities betting, a bigger profit is drawing in additional clients who’re focused on sports activities betting however wouldn’t usually enter a on line casino.

“We’ll likely not see as much benefit as we do from our casino games, but there will be some benefits, hopefully with our properties, potentially building out sports betting opportunities and specific rooms, and which would attract more patrons to our casino properties,” Winter mentioned.

Drawing in new patrons can be interesting for sports activities organizations, together with the St. Louis Cardinals.

“We feel like it sort of opens up a new demo, where people all of a sudden get attracted to the game for slightly different reasons. And they might follow players, they might follow various aspects of the game that are unrelated to wins and losses, although that’s part of it, too,” mentioned Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III.

DeWitt has traveled to Jefferson City a number of occasions to testify in help of laws legalizing sports activities betting. He says it’s irritating that persons are going both out of state to position bets or doing so illegally.

“While the clock ticks, we have all of our surrounding states that have legalized it and regulated it and they’re collecting tax revenue from it. And here we are in Missouri, you know, waiting to try to break the logjam.” DeWitt mentioned.

The Cardinals aren’t the one sports activities group that wishes to see sports activities betting authorized in Missouri. All of the state’s six skilled groups have testified in help of laws in Jefferson City.

Brian Munoz

/

St. Louis Public Radio

Despite a number of teams eager to see sports activities betting cross, the difficulty stays at an deadlock within the Missouri Senate.

The roadblock largely has to do with Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg. Hoskins filed laws legalizing sports activities betting, together with the previous session, however needs to incorporate video playing terminals like these usually discovered at truck stops.

Hoskins mentioned he grew to become focused on legalizing video machines as a technique to elevate cash to assist veterans.

“I was looking for a dedicated funding source to help out our veterans homes and cemeteries. Casino revenue has decreased significantly over the last several years and to the tune that we have to supplement our veterans homes and cemetery budget by about $50 million a year,” Hoskins mentioned. “Passing a sports book only bill would give us zero increase in funding for our veterans homes and cemeteries as well as sportsbook doesn’t help out any of our small businesses either.”

According to Hoskins’ invoice, these machines could be allowed in veterans and fraternal organizations in addition to bars.

Comparing the fiscal affect notes of Houx’s and Hoskins’ payments, permitting each sports activities betting and video lottery terminals is anticipated to carry greater than 5 occasions the state income as simply sports activities betting.

Hoskins says he thinks it makes essentially the most sense to mix the 2 matters.

“I think we just need to take care of the overall gaming discussion with one bill,” Hoskins mentioned.

Hoskins has acquired marketing campaign contributions from organizations and companies which are pro-video playing terminals.

Hoskins mentioned it is smart that organizations and companies that need video gaming machines legalized would help him.

“This is something that I’ve been passionate about, about helping small businesses, veteran organizations and most certainly companies that would like to see that happen are going to support those senators that are supportive of that issue as well,” Hoskins mentioned.

Winter mentioned the Missouri Gaming Association has testified towards video playing terminals earlier than, and its place has not modified.

“We’ve invested billions of dollars in Missouri and the voters have spoken that they want slot machines in certain locations, which are the 13 licensed casinos,” Winter mentioned.

On what’s going to occur subsequent session, Houx says he plans on introducing the identical invoice.

“Hopefully, we’ll be in the top 10 bills that get out of the House in the month of January, you know, let’s get them going rather quickly,” Houx mentioned.

However, Hoskins continues to be ready for a compromise and mentioned he doesn’t see a path for sports activities betting with out it.

“Until the casinos are ready to come to the table and work on a solution and compromise, I don’t foresee a path that a sportsbook would pass in the state of Missouri,” Hoskins mentioned.

Matt DiMiceli, who lives in Kansas City, Missouri, and through soccer season makes the journey to Kansas a few occasions to make bets, believes sports activities betting and video playing ought to be separate points.

“In my mind, it should be: Should sports betting be legal or not? Let’s vote on it. Should the digital video lottery terminals be legalized? Let’s talk about it, and then you can vote however you want. But to tie them together is ridiculous to me,” DiMiceli mentioned.

Brian Munoz

/

St. Louis Public Radio

For DeWitt and the Cardinals, the trail ahead might imply placing the difficulty to voters instantly if the legislature once more fails to behave this session.

“I think that what we need to do is create a game plan where we work on an initiative petition process, which is a ballot initiative in Missouri, that would be ready for voters to vote on this issue in the November election of ’24,” DeWitt mentioned.

DeWitt mentioned they the poll language continues to be being labored on, however it could be just like what has already handed the House.

One query for these pushing to cross sports activities betting via the initiative petition course of could be if it’s price pursuing in any respect, since Hoskins is time period restricted after subsequent session.

Hoskins mentioned he doesn’t consider this difficulty will stop to exist as soon as he leaves.

“I know some people think, ‘We’ll just wait Senator Hoskins out, and he’s termed out in 2024.’ But I would say there’s at least five or six different senators that feel the same way that I do and want to see both VLTs (video lottery terminals) and a sportsbook get passed,” Hoskins mentioned.

Hoskins mentioned he isn’t certain how profitable a poll initiative could be.

“The polling that I’ve seen doesn’t look like a sports book-only initiative would pass with Missouri voters,” Hoskins mentioned.

Hoskins referenced a SLU/YouGov ballot printed in March that confirmed 35% approval of legalizing sports activities betting and 41% disapproval. The ballot surveyed 900 possible Missouri voters.

However, DeWitt mentioned they’ve executed some polling, and it appears to be like favorable.

“I hate to make any predictions in one thing like that,” Dewitt said. “But we’re optimistic at this level that it is one thing that Missourians need.”