Battle Of Video Lottery Terminals Prevents MO Sports Betting

A new sports betting bill in Missouri led to a debate by legislators that went past midnight.
The debate over video lottery terminals is causing the hold-up.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri State Senate was up past midnight on Thursday morning in an attempt to bring both online and retail sports betting to Missouri. The sports betting bill would eventually be taken off the table due to heavy resistance.

The Missouri legislative session goes on until May 13th, which means that Senator Denny Hoskins may still have a chance to get his version of the bill passed.

I tried to pass a stand alone Sportsbook bill tonight, unfortunately I ran into some resistance. But I’ll keep working toward a compromise bill that provides funding for our veterans & education! #moleg @PeteMundo @AlexGold @610SportsKC @sports_handle @Chiefs @Royals @Cardinals https://t.co/yilCHPJiFv

— Senator Denny Hoskins, CPA (@DLHoskins) May 5, 2022

Battle For Video Lottery Terminals The Reason For Delays

Just a few weeks ago Missouri lawmakers were debating the sports betting bill HB 2502, but Senator Hoskins shut it down.

Hoskins filibustered HB 2502 over Video Lottery Terminals (VLT). The VLTs are controversial due to the fact that they act as sports betting kiosks and would have been available at both fraternal and social clubs, as well as some truck stops. Missouri’s casinos are against the installation of the VLTs.

The Senator’s latest attempt to create legal sports betting in Missouri would have excluded any of the VLTs.

Outline Of Lawmaker’s Vision Of Legal Sports Betting In Missouri Remains In Place

Lawmakers around Missouri may disagree about the inclusion of those Video Lottery Terminals, but it still seems as if there is a clear enough vision of a sports betting bill that they may in fact come to a compromise.

HB 2502 passed through the Missouri House of Representatives, so there is a history of support for legal sports betting.

The previous bill had passed through with an agreement for the 13 casinos to each get three separate online sportsbook skins and for each of the six professional sports franchises of Missouri to also get their own.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals have publicly stated that they want sports betting legalized in Missouri, otherwise they may move into Kansas where they would have more luck.

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Brett Crown

Brett is a passionate sports writer who majored in Sport Management at Florida State University. He combines his knowledge of stats with his understanding of game theory to find the best values when sports betting. Brett enjoys golfing, playing cornhole, and hanging out by the pool when he’s not locked in watching games.