Sports betting passes Missouri House, but fate in Senate is again in question

JEFFERSON CITY — A bill legalizing sports betting in Missouri was passed by the state House for the second consecutive year Wednesday, but whether it can make its way through the Senate and become law this year remains uncertain.

Warrensburg Republican Rep. Dan Houx's legislation aims to allow Missourians to wager on sports, as lawmakers look to catch up with neighboring states who have already legalized the practice. It was approved by a bipartisan majority on a 118-35 vote in the House, and now heads to the Senate.

"We are missing out on taxpayer dollars here," Houx, who also led last year's version of the legislation, said last month.

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The bill would impose a 10% tax on net winnings from bets — similar to the rates adopted by surrounding states, many of which which fall between 6% and 15%. Other gambling winnings in Missouri are taxed at a rate of 21%.

Attempts by Democrats to raise the tax rate and reduce deductions on promotions failed, but most of them supported the end product, calling it a top priority for many voters.

"This is a great bill," said Rep. Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat. "This is a bill we've been trying to get past this legislature. Our constituents want this, we need to get it done."

Years of negotiations and tweaks on the legislation have resulted in a bill that has earned the support of Missouri casino operators and sportsbook companies alike — as well as every professional sports team in the state. But it is still likely to run into resistance across the building.

Lawmakers attempted to revive the issue late last year during a special legislative session focused on tax cuts, but were deterred by the governor, who said it fell outside the parameters of his request.

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Sen. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican, has been adamant that any bill legalizing sports betting should also include language regulating video lottery terminals that populate gas stations and truck stops across the state. Those machines are currently not regulated by the state, with some calling them "gray machines."

Hoskins has argued their regulation would bring even more revenue and has indicated he would delay or block passage on any version of the bill without VLT regulations. It remains to be seen whether members can come to an agreement and pass a version of the bill through the Senate and send it to the governor's desk by the end of session in May.

Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com or on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Sports betting passes Missouri House. Can it make it through Senate?