Seven months after the landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court to strike down a national law restricting the majority of states from legalizing sports betting, Missouri Legislature is reportedly mulling the idea of allowing wagering on certain sporting events.
The office of Governor Mike Parson said that, although the governor isn’t pushing the idea of sports betting, he is not opposed to the idea.
Last year, Republican Rep. Dean Plocher sponsored a bill that would legalize sports betting, however his proposal died in the legal channels. Since the Supreme Court passed its game-changing law in May, Plocher reveals that many bills allowing for legal and regulated sports betting in Missouri have been drafted. One of the bills even included the option of paying sports leagues an ‘integrity fee’, although this was argued down by opponents.
“I certainly anticipate it [the question of legal sports betting in Missouri] being out there for discussion before the House and the Senate,” said Plocher.
It is estimated that sports betting could bring in anything between $18 million and $40 million annually should it be legalized in the Missouri.
In the meantime, the Missouri Lottery has indicated that it wants to be part of a sports betting industry. Lottery Director, May Scheve Reardon attended a major gambling industry conference in New York recently, where she participated in a panel discussion called: “Lotteries and sports betting: Operators, regulators or marketing partners?”