Sports Betting Bill Debated In MO Senate

The Missouri Senate Governmental Affairs and Fiscal Oversight Committee approved a bill Monday that would legalize sports gambling in the state.

The bill would allow licensed facilities such as casinos to offer sports betting on site and online. Online gambling would be available only to those physically located within the state. Proponents of the bill say it would generate ten million dollars in tax revenue for Missouri.

Senator Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg has been vocal in his concerns about the bill as it is currently written. He says that the focus of the legislation should be on funding education as well as problem gambling treatment in the state, not on the best interests of casinos.

Representative Dan Houx of Warrensburg is the bill’s sponsor. He says he’s not opposed to raising the tax rate in the bill, and says the final legislation will likely have a tax rate of around fourteen percent.

The bill now moves to the full Senate for debate.

*submitted by Missouri News Network